Everyone needs "Milk"

Last night I finally made the time to sit down and watch “Milk.” I was worried I would be disappointed because of all the hype, but I was amazed. Not only was the acting phenomenal, but the story was so inspiring. This movie is especially important when considering the incredible advancements in equal rights made in just the past few months.

I am so proud of the progress our country is making. There are now five states that allow gay marriage and several more look promising to pass legislation. This is such a great time for my generation because we actually feel that we CAN make a difference. The election of Barack Obama was a huge step, and now we are finding our voice and speaking out against all inequalities.

I’m the first to admit that change scares me, but not this kind. I hope we continue to push ourselves and our fellow Americans to take action, even in the smallest ways.

I’ll end with one of my favorite lines from the movie: “Because it's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power... it's about the "us's" out there. Not only gays, but the Blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's. Without hope, the us's give up - I know you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. So you, and you, and you... You gotta give em' hope... you gotta give em' hope.”