zOne of my earliest "political "memories was of a neighbor marching

[merbex]

in our town's 4th of July Parade with a banner calling for the US to get out of Vietnam

She was one of about 6 to 10 people and I remember she and the group she was with was boo'd

Beyond boo'd,SCREAMED at. I was only 7 at the time -1967- I remember my mother rushing to the side of the street to get closer to see what was going on. My mother started applauding and yelled out encouragement to our neighbor who was marching

I remember being scared for both my mother and our neighbor as people increased their screaming

After the group had passed my shitty uncle told my mother she was stupid to do what she did (applaud)- my mother replied "# 1. I agree with her. #2.it takes courage to walk down Main St and face that heckling. #3 I wished I had known she was going to march - I would have too"

This occurred in a pretty conservative suburban town.

Anyone else have an early political memory?

[brook]

1. I was in kindergarten.

My Dad was running for Mayor. One evening there was a commotion out in front of our house. We ran to the window - the Repugnants were shouting obscenities and tossing toilet paper into the yard. It was very upsetting.

Dad lost the election - and I cried all the way to school the next day. My brother tried to console me by saying:"Maybe Dad's not the Mayor, but he's still the President of the Democratic Club so stop crying."

That was in 1940 - so you see, the 'right wing' has been honing their 'rovian skills' for a long time.

[teach1st]

2. November 1963

My fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Belinky had just told us that President Kennedy had been shot. (She got the news from a breathless Mr. Winters, the janitor, who was running from classroom to classroom.) Many of my classmates were crying. Suddenly, Anita, who sat a few seats from me, blurted out, "I hope he dies. My father says he's a commie." I didn't know what a commie was exactly, but I remember wondering what sort of horrible people would wish death on such a great man.

[Hello_Kitty]

5. Incredible

Just highlights the basic difference between us. As much as we despise * here, I cannot imagine anyone of us teaching our kids to wish death upon him.

[Hello_Kitty]

3. When I was very small

I met Spiro Agnew. I don't recall the circumstances or whether it was before or after his resignation. My dad worked for the Nixon administration and took me to some event where I was introduced to him.

[Mist]

4. In 1969 I got involved in getting petitions signed to end the war

I had just turned 11. Most people were against the war and gladly signed. Others yelled, turned purple, told me I was a commie, etc., etc. Years later, I realized that they treated me the same as they would an adult-nobody cut me any slack because I was a kid. Feelings ran high over the Vietnam war.

[Hello_Kitty]

6. Funny how things don't change

Can you imagine it being any different today? Other than maybe they'd call you a "terrorist sympathizer" instead of a commie.

[left is right]

7. young, sometime before starting first grade

watching Joe McCarthy ranting on television and thinking he was a bad, scary man. I didn't know why he was so angry. I would be 10 or 11 before I realized who he was and what he stood for. that was about the age that I started reading books from the adult section at the town library. I went on to read every book the library had on communism and fascism. At the time I couldn't tell any real difference between them