Working with interns

By Tina Cummings, November Coalition

It was a positive experience for me to work with high school interns in the November Coalition's home office. Danica Parkin worked part-time from September 2002 through March 2003, and Marty Lombardi was with us throughout 2001. Both were very dependable office assistants with genuine interest in ending drug war injustice.

It warms my heart to know young, bright people willing to spend their time committed to a 'cause.' Because of the stigma associated with prison and drug use caused by years of misinformation, I'm convinced it can be very instructive for any older adult to meet young people who think for themselves, despite the official lies they've been told.

Much credit goes to the parents of these children who have allowed and cultivated independent thought in their homes. Without hesitation, the parents of these two young interns approved of their children's internship with November Coalition.
I say 'children,' but we've really been working with young adults who heartily immersed themselves in an experience of grassroots activism absolutely indispensable to building an America that is a safer and saner place to live.

Anyone who finds the opportunity to work with young interns in the reform movement should do so. It's more than a cliché to say we need young minds and energy as much as we do the seasoned wisdom of the hoary-headed activist.

(Editor: Tina was a well-organized office manager and proofreader, handling difficult phone calls about Coalition activities with cheerful professionalism - not an easy outlook to maintain through the many months that her longtime mate, Mark Harrison, underwent cancer treatment. Thank you, Tina, for your excellent work in resistance to drug war injustice.)