to begin

I'll start by saying that I in no way believe I am as intelligent or interesting or driven as the Real Red Emma.

I am just an ordinary woman with 20 years of activism and study and living under my belt. Some weeks ago, I joined MetaFilter, and blithely took RedEmma as my screen name. I figured it was a short cut to letting people know where I stood politically (although many had no idea who The Real Red Emma was, sad to say). And then I found a certain pressure to live up to that screen name, like if I'm going to take her moniker, I'd better aspire to a high level of thoughtfulness and straight-talking about how I view this world. Emma Goldman is a hero of mine, and by speaking through her name, I hope a little bit of her spirit infects me and allows me a clear voice.