Tears in her eyes, 'I really look up to people like you,' ...

It was a group of about 30 middle schoolers from Wisconsin.

They were a bit sleepy this early in the morning, but they were

still able to "hear" what we do, for about 7 minutes.  At the end

one of the chaperones, an early 40ish guy, "Can we ask any questions?"

"Sure I said." "Name me one other country where you could do

what you do...!"  blah blah blah....  He wasn't mean, and neither

was I.  But we were both riled, and the kids saw that.  "Do you

know why we can do this," I asked?  Without awaiting his reply

I said,  "There are two reasons.  One, our brave young men and

women in uniform, the only group in this country I have any respect

for, defend our right with their lives.  And two, people like us 

here at this vigil are willing to go to jail to protect that right, 

as we've gone to jail more than 50 times so far for doing this."  

To his credit, he "got" what I was saying.  The interchange with 

the group ended positively.  

As they departed and the group was moving, a good 20 feet

away now, a little red head came back, with another little 

girl with her for strength.  Tears in her eyes, "I really look up

to people like you," she expressed haltingly thru the tears. 

"It has taken me a lifetime to learn how to stand up for us like 

this, and I'm trying to have others learn faster

than I did.  Your kind words of encouragement mean a great 

deal to me.  Thank you,"  I said.  

I offered, and she gratefully accepted a gentle, fatherly hug.

Tears in my eyes, too, now.  Such Joy.  Such sorrow.