Barbara Curtis was one of the original radicals, it seems. She was a hippie before it was cool to be one. She was a second-tier feminist (I think that's the term she used). Pro-women's right, pro-abortion, anti-government. She was about as leftist as they come, from her account.
Fast forward many years and many experiences later and the former liberal is now a conservative, Christian mother of 12 (9 biologically hers, 3 adopted). Her very inspiring account of attending the 9/12/09 Tea Party protest in Washington, DC is posted at Pajamas Media. Be sure to go there and read the comments:
In 1967, I was the radical Alinsky wrote the rules for. On the political cutting edge, I’d been arguing with fellow students and coworkers for years about Vietnam, and my growing disgust with my country led me down many winding roads of anti-American thought. I was counterculture before there was a name for it, skipping my prom and graduation as “bourgeois,” going barefoot, braless, and unshaven, and collecting tattoos at the only place in town those days — a crummy hole-in-the-wall next to downtown D.C.’s Greyhound station.
Everything about me was about making a statement. And while it was pretty exciting for me as a young woman to create a new identity based on rejection of the status quo, for years I’d felt like I was alone.
Then suddenly I discovered I wasn’t.
On October 21, a crisp, clear D.C. day, I arrived with my boyfriend at my first anti-war protest and felt a thrill of belonging and hope. The Pentagon grounds were churning with 50,000 or so people like us — a curious conglomeration of serious anti-American academic types (like me) and sha-la-la-la-la-live-for-today potheads (like him). But the differences didn’t matter to us that day, which celebrated everything from putting flowers in National Guard rifles to taunting police until we were tear-gassed. The counterculture had a big umbrella, and we were all hippies at heart — eager to create a new world, whatever that might turn out to be. This day gave us a sense of unity, strength, and purpose.
I went on to help organize events — from the whimsical Ring Around the Capitol (sponsored by Another Mother for Peace) to the ultra-violent May Day, where we used our bodies to stop traffic on the bridges into D.C. Rallying cry: “If the government won’t stop the war, we’ll stop the government.”
Through it all, to be honest, I felt a little ashamed that I wasn’t completely living up to my political ideals, which involved destroying the status quo. I was always a secret admirer of the most radical — people like Bernadine Dohrn and William Ayers. But while they were busy blowing things up, I’d gotten married and had a baby — Samantha Sunshine. Still barefoot and braless, I kept up my counterculture credentials by dropping her in the college daycare center during the week and carrying her on my back for weekend demonstrations. While my heart yearned for solidarity with my most radical leftist comrades, my mother’s instinct to stay alive and out of jail prevailed.
I was also among the original second-wave feminists — fed up with the machismo of our political comrades — who made abortion the next battleground. As a mother, I became a sought-after spokeswoman for the right to “choice.” After all, an unwanted pregnancy at this point would interfere with my education; didn’t I have the right to get rid of a parasite growing in my body?
Flash forward forty years to find this mother of 12 (nine by birth, three by adoption) once again a political activist — but now for the conservative cause.
What happened? Life happened. A 1972 permanent pilgrimage to San Francisco, another baby (Jasmine Moondance), divorce, promiscuity/experimentation, abortion, drug addiction, welfare — all in accord with my proud leftist political banner. A 1980 move to Marin County, Alcoholics Anonymous, a second marriage, New Age spirituality, birth control failures, building a business, owning a home.
A 1987 born-again experience, homeschooling, a son with Down syndrome, a writing career, three adoptions, and finally in 2002 a cross country move with 24 native Californians (my husband, children, sons-in-law and grandchildren) to come back to the traditional values I’d rejected before.
Not much about my current life looks like anything like the me I used to be — other than a lingering weakness for retro hippie fashion. Oh, and the skin art now lumping me with tattoo-come-lately Baby Boomers rather than communicating my colorful past.
But the hopeful giddiness I felt last Saturday at the 9/12 Freedom March took me back 40 years. And what I observed — no matter how ignored or spun by the increasingly irrelevant dinosaur media — tells me that this spontaneous and improbable gathering of conservatives is just the beginning of a movement that in the end will be as culturally revolutionary as the Woodstock generation.
I’m not coming at this like some dry academic — tsk-tsking conservatives and pushing moderation — but as a proud and passionate veteran of the personal-is-the-political generation. My agenda here is to encourage conservatives of all stripes who gathered to speak truth to power in Washington and across the country last Saturday, last month, and last summer. My message is to keep up the good work. Don’t listen to what they say. Keep informed. Keep showing up. And watch our numbers grow.
This is just the beginning.
On the morning of September 12, I left for the march with my camera. Since every picture’s worth a thousand words, I thought that would be the easiest and fastest way to communicate what really took place.
But what was going to take place? How many people would show? Though in my gut — with the latest victories of the new media over the old (Van Jones, ACORN) — I felt momentum building, I was really just one person going without a group, a strategy, or a plan.
At the Dunn-Loring (VA) Metro station, I noted the nearly-full parking lot — unlikely on a Saturday — with many out-of-state cars, many sporting conservative bumper stickers. My hopes began to rise. I was not alone. The platform was filled with people of all ages, some carrying signs. No one quite knew how to ask each other: “Are you going to the march?” But as a reporter, I could and I did.
There was a young couple with three children from Centerville, VA, a middle-aged woman and her mother from Harrisonburg, PA, a couple from Texas — and many more.
No one I talked to — on that platform or throughout the day — had ever been to a protest, march, or demonstration of any kind. No one knew what to expect. All had sacrificed time, energy, and money to come to Washington. All had undertaken this adventure independently with the assumption that they might indeed be the only one showing up.
“But with everything that’s going on, I felt like I had no choice but to come,” was a theme I heard echoed throughout the day.
All seemed informed and concerned, but cheerful and optimistic. I knew this feeling from before — it begins when you move from concern to action. It’s a beautiful thing to behold, and as I discovered on September 12, particularly beautiful in people whose orientation toward their country is not revolution but recovery.
Not much about my current life looks like anything like the me I used to be — other than a lingering weakness for retro hippie fashion. Oh, and the skin art now lumping me with tattoo-come-lately Baby Boomers rather than communicating my colorful past.
But the hopeful giddiness I felt last Saturday at the 9/12 Freedom March took me back 40 years. And what I observed — no matter how ignored or spun by the increasingly irrelevant dinosaur media — tells me that this spontaneous and improbable gathering of conservatives is just the beginning of a movement that in the end will be as culturally revolutionary as the Woodstock generation.
I’m not coming at this like some dry academic — tsk-tsking conservatives and pushing moderation — but as a proud and passionate veteran of the personal-is-the-political generation. My agenda here is to encourage conservatives of all stripes who gathered to speak truth to power in Washington and across the country last Saturday, last month, and last summer. My message is to keep up the good work. Don’t listen to what they say. Keep informed. Keep showing up. And watch our numbers grow.
This is just the beginning.
On the morning of September 12, I left for the march with my camera. Since every picture’s worth a thousand words, I thought that would be the easiest and fastest way to communicate what really took place.
But what was going to take place? How many people would show? Though in my gut — with the latest victories of the new media over the old (Van Jones, ACORN) — I felt momentum building, I was really just one person going without a group, a strategy, or a plan.
At the Dunn-Loring (VA) Metro station, I noted the nearly-full parking lot — unlikely on a Saturday — with many out-of-state cars, many sporting conservative bumper stickers. My hopes began to rise. I was not alone. The platform was filled with people of all ages, some carrying signs. No one quite knew how to ask each other: “Are you going to the march?” But as a reporter, I could and I did.
There was a young couple with three children from Centerville, VA, a middle-aged woman and her mother from Harrisonburg, PA, a couple from Texas — and many more.
No one I talked to — on that platform or throughout the day — had ever been to a protest, march, or demonstration of any kind. No one knew what to expect. All had sacrificed time, energy, and money to come to Washington. All had undertaken this adventure independently with the assumption that they might indeed be the only one showing up.
“But with everything that’s going on, I felt like I had no choice but to come,” was a theme I heard echoed throughout the day.
All seemed informed and concerned, but cheerful and optimistic. I knew this feeling from before — it begins when you move from concern to action. It’s a beautiful thing to behold, and as I discovered on September 12, particularly beautiful in people whose orientation toward their country is not revolution but recovery.
Barbara Curtis is a wife, mother of 12, and author of nine books, including Reaching the Left from the Right: Talking About Social Issues with People Who Don't Think Like You. Visit her at www.barbaracurtis.com or at her blog www.MommyLife.net.
Ditto Barbara, welcome home to America. america is a BIG tent. Conservatives and Independants and Democrats who love this Country are not doing what they are doing because of RACISM!! They disagree with the PRESIDENTS lying very left of left radical, socialized, progressive agenda. He campaigned as a moderate who would listen to and work for ASLL AMERICANS well he has LIED!!It is business as usual with the Democrat party ( THE RADICAL FEW WHO JUST WANT TO BEAT THE REPUBLICANS AT ANY COST )not what the Presesident promised! There is little transparancy. The President for all of his academic acumen, is a very slow learner when faced with the TRUTH as AMERICANS from all walks of life, parties, religions, have gathered to tell Washington and all the SENATE and Congress we are not at alll happy with what you all are DOING, and WHAT YOU ARE NOT DOING!!
the President has an agenda about "CONTROLING" America! It isn ot about FREEDOM, OR THE REPUBLIC, OR THE COSTITUTION, it is about what HE WANTS!! If you disagree with his policy he attacks you personally and like all the media and UNION whores who are in his pocket hoping for a Quid pro Quo, He will stop at nothing to gain this control. I don't think Glen Beck is crazy, I think he asks responsible questions, they should be answered! the President just gave all the persons who have shown up to express their opposition to his proposals through-out the year and on 9-12 , and his amateur FINANCIAL Governance, the middle finger! He does not care! He believes his personal popularity is the only important thing he has to do, and no one will hold him or his Party reponsible! HE IS WRONG!Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank , ,Maxine Watwers, Christopher Dodd,henry Waxman and many more are responsible for the FINANCIAL MESS AND THEY ARE BRINGING UP EVERY ISSUE other than addressing these issues to keep the looking glass off of them. It is all very disgusting. The way the Democrats play partisan political politics on every little issue. I guess the Republicans had it coming to them they should have made GWB veto many spending bill the DEMOCRAT Congress voted in over the last almost 3 years they have controlled the House. The reason GWB did not attack Health care is one huge reason we were ATTACKED on 9/11/01 and the U.S. was busy being kept safe by Mr. Bush, and it was not the tme to try and pass a massive Health-Care reform bill. There was no money then and there is less now, but O'Bama is montizing the Debt of the U.S. which the Treasury Secretary ( 30 year old who should be fired as he has been in the treasury for over 10 years and he was part of the problem )said he would not do. This means the FED RESERVE sells note to the Public and the next day the Treasury buys them from the Public, and they DO IT WITH MONEY THEY ARE PRINTING OUT OF CONTROL!! all this talk about the RECESSION being over is BS--O'Bama is creating a BIGGER BUBBLE and you al should understand this. Look at the real facts around the U.S. and the World things are not really getting better. The Government is issueing FAKE PRESS RELEASES TO THE PUBLIC TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK , GEE THE PROBLEMS ARE OVER!! Well they are not. $over 4 trillion dollars has disappeared. The Wall St. Boys are again playing with money, the Street's money, the Government is going to lend more and more to continue to PROP -UP HUD which is running FANNIE MAE and FREDDIE MAC which the Government has poured over $200 billion into since last year!Where do you think this money comes from? Stimulus what a joke it was just a big PORK LADEN SPENDING BILL!! The Democrats and O'Bama are just passing out free money to their lackie friends like the Unions and Acorn, ( well maybe that will stop; but don't bet on it ) call your Congressman and Senator and demand they cut off all funding for ALL THE SUBSIDIARIES OF ACORN TOO!!This is a HUGE CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE!! Are you aware those videos were shot at the FIRST 6 ACORN offices the couple walked into? They did not pick out random offices where there were, as the DEMOCRAT and ACORN apologists said, only a couple "BAD APPLES"--BS there are more than a couple. They have a budget of $150 million dollars and they have 700 employee's--all doing the vote getting for their candidate! How sick and crooked. SEIU and ACORN are connected at the HIP! Their calling themselves a UNION was just a RUSE to get all the back office and lower income workers to join their union so they could achieve "CRITICAL MASS" to steam roll over anyone or anything they chooose to! Put all the BROTHER UNIONS TOGETHER and they will RUIN AMETRICAN JOBS, AND THE ECONOMY!! This is as Saul Alinsky thinks, the way to "FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE" America! Connected you better believe they are. We better as AMERICANS FIRST and politics second stand up for the rule of LAW, the Constitution, and the AMERICAN way or we are doomed for sure.
Posted by: Examen One | Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 01:43 AM