COMMENTARY
With a lot of people I know, including myself, activism has been something weve sort of stumbled into - a direction we didnt know we were going to choose until we were already smack in the middle of it.
It starts off with something as simple as having an opinion, and the next thing you know, youre picketing at the state Capitol, demanding some sort of change and the word now is usually nearby.
People tend to be careful when identifying themselves or others as activists. The word has become synonymous with angry, disgruntled, often nonstraight, hippie types, who have nothing better to do than burn flags and chant, Hell, no!