I am appalled at the ageist comments I am reading.

[H2O Man]

113. Luckily for everyone here,

I am the oldest living thing on Earth. So listen up:

I remember being at the Onondaga longhouse. I was in my 20s at the time. Tadodaho Leon Shenandoah was speaking. He said he was glad to see a group of young people returning to the traditional ways. The group he was speaking to were in their 60s and 70s.

The traditional way recognizes that there will be tensions from time to time between younger people -- say, in their 20s and 30s -- and the Elders. It recognizes that this tension can be used to find the best alternative action to address any problem. That requires a balance where no group can enforce their will in a manner that harms another group.

Being an old person who was once young, I recognize that there are tensions between different sub-groups within our party. I view it as less one of age, as of other factors. One very important one has to do with where a politician gets campaign funding. If, for example, one takes funding from Big Pharma, they are probably far less likely to take a stand against BP. If they do not take funding from BP, they are more likely to take a stand against them.

Likewise, there is a chance that the DNC is composed of individuals who enjoy an economic status that is distinct from that of the voters that we need to win. The truth is that wealthy people speak and understand a language that differs from the working class and the poor. With this as an entrenched factor, the ability to communicate is greatly reduced.

None of these issues make progress impossible. But there obviously needs to be changes in our approach.