When my wife and I spent a year in Portland Oregon in 1979 or so, we went house to house for Ron Wyden, who was running for his first term as a Congressional Representative. This was so early in his career that when my wife first called his headquarters to get his position on some issues (that’s what you did before the Internet, children), Wyden himself called back that evening and talked with her for half and hour.

So, now Senator Ron Wyden has put the kibosh on the awful bill that would have let the government censor the internet.

I understand that if I had stayed home instead of knocking on doors for a few afternoons, Wyden would still have won and history would have unfolded in exactly the same way. A volunteer could not do much less than I did for the Wyden campaign.

Nevertheless, I have three observations:

First, I have felt attached to Wyden (who obviously wouldn’t remember me) ever since pitching in three decades ago. Silly, but there you have it.

Second, a relative handful of people — there were maybe dozens of volunteers? scores? — did make some difference to the campaign, and those little actions have unrolled to much larger consequences. One might even say that history consists of disproportionate effects.

Put the first and second observations together and you get the fact that even though your individual action may have no decisive effect, it can contribute to a tiny nudge that ends up making a difference, and, in any case, you can feel connected to a cause and a narrative.

Third, thank you, Senator Wyden!

Categories: politics dw