In August 1963 I had just finished my first year of college and went to visit a friend in Washington, D.C.
Like most 19-year-old college boys we tried to find places to drink and we tried to find girls. We also tried to pretend we were political animals.
His mother was a big deal real estate broker and one night she told us she had tickets for a big demonstration for jobs and peace on the mall the next day. Her tickets were behind the speakers, but still on the stage. We thought there might be some girls there, so we went.
No girls, but it was a nice day and a huge crowd, so we decided to stay and listened half-heartedly to a bunch of speakers who tried to rile the crow up. We didn't know much about civil rights or anything else, so we were largely unmoved by the whole thing.
Then came this guy, the Rev. Martin Luther King. He gave this speech and the crowd really got into it. Especially when he kept saying, over and over, "I have a dream ..."
I remember my friend turning to me and asking what the big deal was. "We all have dreams," he said. I remember shaking my head and we headed off, looking for girls.
Amazing how stupid you can be when you are 19.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
