Tom Hayden, a leader of the civil rights and antiwar movements in the 1960s who later became a California lawmaker, has died

I remember Tom Hayden so well from the late 1960's, a time when I shaped my political left-of-center ideals. I loved the movements for civil rights as well as the anti war movements of that era but I never became as radical as the activist left then. Still, my sympathies lay with their progressive ideals.

I, in truth, miss that time more than I can say as it provided me with a sense of humane purpose and infused life with an abundance of meaning. We were going to change the world for the better. I was young then and had much hope only to see the succeeding years fail to deliver many of the ideals I held. Still, some things did change for the good among them the election of our first Black president and soon we will go on to elect the first woman to the presidency.

I go on now with a sense of realistic pragmatism not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. We do what we can today to fight the forces of hate and division and we never give up our nation's founding premise: "All men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." We, the living, go on to try again for another day while we can to perfect our nation's founding ideals!

VOTE AND GET OUT THE VOTE FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON