Years ago, in another life, many of us were young demonstrators — exerting our enthusiastic efforts for civil rights and against the Vietnam War. That was life in the 1960s.

It’s time to stand up once again for what we believe is right. And this time, we’ve got our younger generations and their collective energy alongside us.

Our effort is crucial because, in many ways, times are much worse than they were in the ’60s.

Take a look around. The poor and the modest are continually being insulted and attacked with escalating foreclosures, lost jobs, stagnant wages, fewer if any benefits, sky-high student loan burdens, crumbling infrastructure, and fewer police, firefighters and teachers.

Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other social services are being chipped away and our country’s safety net is developing more holes than netting.

Priorities are askew. It has become more important for our government to spend $1.3 trillion since 2001 for endless wars than to help its most vulnerable. If my calculations are correct, $1.3 trillion divided by the number of days from Oct. 7, 2001 to March 1, 2012 (3740 days) is about $348 million per day. And the spending continues on. Now our leaders are speaking aggressively toward Iran.

Other priorities which are askew are our government’s compliancy in enabling corporate greed, corruption, tax loopholes and polluter profiteering — to the point where the rest of America suffers. Why should governmental priorities be only with those on the top of the economic ladder?

What has become of our government’s priority for the common good for all of us?

This is our reality in 2012. There are two interpretations as to why this is our reality. Which looks more like your reality?

One version condemns the poor themselves, describing them as lacking in moral fiber and/or work ethics. Safety nets, they believe, have only proved to foster more dependence and sloth. If you fail, the only person to blame is yourself. Don’t expect a handout — hunger, housing and health be damned. The other version cites the acceleration of economic hardship. Its priority is in the morality of extending a helping hand to those of us most vulnerable. This version claims the cause for social and economic injustices lies with our government’s compliance in allowing “corporate personhood” to steer our elections and laws toward the benefit of these same huge corporations (plus their lobbyists and political organizations) and away from the benefit of people like you and me.

This latter version actually helps in exposing our nation’s extreme social and economic inequality, and has been widely supported by the Occupy and 99% movements. These movements have helped facilitate open discussions on subjects that were just recently taboo.

Who makes up these Occupy and 99% movements? They can be anyone from your child’s teacher to your postal worker to your librarian. They are people who are actively looking for solutions on making our democracy one that works for everyone.

On March 24, North Kitsap 99% is co-sponsoring a day-long, Kitsap-wide event called the Kitsap 99% Spring Gathering at the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Center. Details are still being worked out at this time, so watch for more information from your local newspapers and at www.kitsapcommunity.org, the website for the event.

So far there is tribal singing, dancing, drumming circles, fry bread, diverse cultural arts and performances, smaller group discussions on a variety of issues (called “Open Space”), a “General Assembly” for harvesting the day’s learnings and call to non-violent action.

NK99’s own Sarah van Gelder, editor of Yes! magazine and the new book “This Changes Everything,” will be one of the speakers scheduled for the event.

— Marylin Olds is an opinion columnist for the Kingston Community News. Comments are welcome at marylin.olds@gmail.com.