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Senior News May, 2005 Vol. 24. No. 5
Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.
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Humboldt Senior Resource Center Back issues Table of Contents
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Raging Grannies come to Humboldt Women find an entertaining way to make their point by Martha Devine
A scraggly group of gray-haired women, dripping wet, stood under the awning at the Eureka Peace March singing to a crowd of dripping people in one of the worst rain storms in the area this year. We are the Raging Grannies, and here in Humboldt, we have been showing up for several months, beginning at the North Country Fair last year. As older women (Humboldt Grannies range in age from age 45 to 85), we use the "granny" stereotype to gain access to national leaders and governmental offices where we might otherwise be prohibited. Then we sing out our no-holds-barred messages. We have focused on the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the proliferation of genetically modified organisms, and the cutting down of the old-growth redwood trees. The Raging Grannies started in western Canada, but their network is spreading far and wide through their bold approach to social change and protest. Audiences and media alike love them, as they deliver on their politics and make good press. They often dress in outrageous hats and costumes. They are growing in popularity because they encourage others to change song lyrics to fit local situations, and in that way convey a message that others are unable to. They are a generation that most people do not take seriously, but their effectiveness is truly inspiring. In the words of a Canadian Granny, "We are caring older women who endeavor to raise awareness of issues relating to peace, the environment and social justice…. Our concerns are virtually unlimited, from pornography and pollution to First Nations' rights. We are politically conscious but non-partisan. Often we show up where we are not wanted!" We Grannies are enraged about the state of the earth we are leaving to our precious grandchildren. We are raging against the system that has allowed this to happen and the institutions that perpetuate the atrocities against our Mother Earth. Our strategy is to make full use of humor, irony and comedy, providing a change from political rhetoric. We generally rehearse once a month in members' homes and we are gathering new Grannies all the time. Look for us where we're least expected. Singing with the Raging Grannies is a great antidote to despair. By daring to act - and to be outrageous - we are showing our rage. Some of us might feel we don't have as much to lose as when we were enmeshed in bringing up our children or working at careers within the system. But now we know that what might be lost is, in fact, a future for our grandchildren if we don't act. So we dare to be outrageous. And we have lots of fun. One of our favorite songs, that I wrote right after 9/11 when people were in shock and Oprah focused on finding ways to include the whole world, is sung to the tune of "God Bless America." Please bless our Mother Earth, Planet so small Stand beside her And guide her Through the night With the light in us all. From the North Pole To the South Pole In the west and in the east Please bless our Mother Earth And bring us peace. Martha Devine is a member of the Raging Grannies. Her e-mail is soydeva@webtv.net. To find out more about our schedule, call 825-6756. |
Senior News
