YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT. The New York Times visits DeKalb to cover our weekly war-related demonstration and counter-demonstration. The origins of these war-related demonstrations are somewhat unclear although they have turned into a civil and public debate about the Iraq campaign. It's not that the Times doesn't have protests and counter-protests to follow closer to home. The article appears to be part of the paper's discovery of pensioners remaining active in public affairs.

As the number of older Americans grows, retirement for many of them means a chance to devote themselves to social and political causes. They have the time, and since they no longer need to worry about employers, they can speak out without fear of repercussions. Retirees represent a potent force in political movements of every stripe and are likely to become even more important as the number of older people increases.

That is, if their pensions remain as generous as current Social Security benefits relative to taxes paid are. (Via City Barbs)