Students in Georgia protest
new immigration law

Yesterday when we took a small risk by occupying the President of Marquette University’s office till he would meet with us, I felt peaceful. Protest and demonstrations for what we believe bring some peace but not as much as taking some risk. All the talk and information about what is right and wrong with our world leaves me tired and depressed. But taking a risk for change lifts me up.

There are a lot of sayings like “Actions speaks louder than Words” but there is so much to living the change you want to see in others. All my heroes in life Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and Gandhi were risk takers.

A friend’s high school son is thinking of joining the Army because of the adventure it offers him. I looked around for other programs, outside of the military, that would offer high school youth a sense of adventure and actually pay them for it and offer them educational opportunities. Except programs for the very wealthy I could not find anything. Young people are ‘risk takers’ but only the military appears to this sense of adventure.

I remember back in 1968 when I was young and taking the risk of the Milwaukee 14 action to destroy 1A selective service files. People would ask me if I was scared and nervous taking such action and I would have to say no. I felt a great calm during and after taking this risk and action.

I find my everyday life moving in the direction of ordinary chores, like cooking meals, driving a friend or grocery shopping; reflection, silence and writing; and taking some risk. Risk brings peace.

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