Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

964 Politics & Persistence

·10 min·1 clip

An 87-year-old WWII veteran gets arrested protesting at the White House with a 'Handle with care' sign around his neck.

["The episode begins with host Gal Lowry recounting how his friend Roy Ingham, an 87-year-old WWII veteran, was arrested protesting at the White House with a 'Handle with care' sign.", "Roy laughed about the arrest and immediately segued into another protest story from 30 years earlier about logging practices in Canada.", "Lowry describes Roy as a Harvard graduate with a Ph.D. from University of Chicago who became politically inspirational later in life.", "He met Roy when Roy was working for his political opponent, but after one conversation, Roy switched sides and they became lasting friends.", "Lowry questions whether being politically astute is important, recalling elementary school lessons about democracy requiring an educated citizenry.", "He notes that election seasons make politics harder to ignore, especially during presidential election years.", "Lowry lives in a state not targeted for political persuasion, so he doesn't see TV commercials or receive fundraising letters.", "He gets information from books, magazines, the New York Times, friends, and CBC, but has lost faith in NPR's reliability.", "The host criticizes how many think tanks are essentially ad agencies and describes social media as 'another bucket of worms.'", "Lowry admits sometimes wanting to give up on politics after 70 years of involvement, thinking he should let the new generation take over.", "He contrasts this with his friend Dick Smith, who at age 86 wrote political essays, monthly letters to the local paper, and protested weekly.", "Both Roy and Dick have since passed away, leaving an empty spot in the political world.", "Lowry analyzes how political conventions have changed from competitive nomination battles to scripted events where nominees are already decided.", "He discusses how the Supreme Court's Citizen United ruling unleashed unlimited corporate money into political campaigns.", "The host questions the value of his $100 contributions when corporations can spend millions, making his voice feel drowned out.", "He uses the phrase 'spitting into the wind' to describe how small contributions can feel insignificant against corporate spending.", "Despite this, Lowry acknowledges that when many people contribute together, it can add up to meaningful impact.", "He finds inspiration in how his friends Roy and Dick never gave up on political engagement despite the odds.", "Their persistence in staying informed and trying to sway elections impresses Lowry and gives him hope.", "The episode concludes with the idea that we must cling to the hope that life will get better through continued political involvement."]

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