Yesterday I posted a little-read diary, with excerpts from my personal journal about my experience five years ago at the Iraq war protest march in Chicago.

I got a little bit sucked in, going back and reading other journal entries from around that time (boy did I love Built To Spill back then!), and I was reminded of a couple of them last night when I heard a news reporter, while covering last night's march in Chicago, say (paraphrasing from memory) "...and many are here because they know someone who's in Iraq, and want them to be brought home."

Five years ago I was part of a protest march in downtown Chicago. This was my introduction to being involved politically. This was where it all started. I found my journal entry from that day, and I'd like to shart some of it with you on the five year anniversary.

I was a part of what some people were saying was the biggest Anti-War demonstration in the country last night. There was barely room to walk or even stand comfortably, but people were polite and mindful of each other. I guess only the people at the front knew where the march would be going, as we in the middle did not, but we followed, because, well, that's what a march is.

Someone told me once, when I first started wearing my Obama button, "I don't think I could handle the responsibility."

I've been thinking about that quite a lot lately. What IS my responsibility as an Obama supporter with a button on my hoodie? Let me backtrack a little bit, back to 2004 so I can explain my thought process here.

I was friends with a woman who, if I must give credit where it's due, was the one who actually got me into politics in the first place. Sure, I disliked Bush, but she introduced me to a candidate, Howard Dean (maybe you've heard of him). I joined numerous meetups because of her, and became involved in the political process, and for that I must thank and credit her. However, she was 100% insane.

This election cycle, I have constantly been reminded of sports. Sitting in a bar watching the returns come in is basically the same to me as sitting in a bar with a handful of regulars watching the Cubs, which is the way I like to spend my Springs/Summers. Usually I think of the election in terms of baseball, and josemonkey posted a diary this morning relating it to football ...but I can't help but think of a roller derby analogy here.