A lot of people I know who have become activists in the '80s and '90s have more experience in the system because of working inside some of these corporations. There was a long lull in activism, but now these people are participating and bringing their experiences to the movement. Student activists at the close of the century also bring a harder edge of reality that tempers their idealism. Unlike many '60s protestors who couldn't see the future beyond the barricades, more of today's students, like Grubman, have not only real world experience in these issues behind them, but a realistic plan for the future as well. Based on that experience, I want to tell people not to be scared if you don't have an exact blueprint for the future.
Vision creates action.
Unlike her '60s predecessors, whose mantra was not to trust anyone over 30, Grubman and many of her peers have specific suggestions for ways the older generations can rejoin the fray. Sure mortgages, kids and bosses become more pressing with age, but older people can still get involved. Reconnect with your family and community. It's a message whose momentum was gaining on campuses even before Seattle. Last year, for instance, UConn and other Connecticut colleges made the local press for their efforts in a national campaign to stop companies like Nike from using sweatshop labor.