War & Peace Quote by Margot Kidder

There’s a defiant economy in the way Margot Kidder frames her politics as a matter of daily habit, not a youthful phase. “I was very active in the peace movement” nods to a specific American lineage of celebrity activism that peaked in the Vietnam era and then got treated, in later decades, like an embarrassing scrapbook: idealistic photos, stale slogans, a cause you “grew out of.” Kidder refuses that arc. The tag “still am” is the pointy end of the sentence, a corrective aimed at a culture that loves to forgive famous women for being outspoken only if they eventually become quiet.

The intent isn’t to name-check a résumé line; it’s to insist on continuity. She’s not asking for credit. She’s pushing back against the entertainment industry’s soft rule that activism must be either branded, sanitized, or safely nostalgic. Coming from an actress best known for playing Lois Lane, there’s extra subtext: the public wants the familiar role, not the complicated citizen behind it. The line subtly separates image from agency.

Context matters, too. Kidder’s career ran through decades when “peace” shifted from mass movement to punchline to polarized litmus test, especially after 9/11 and the Iraq War. Saying “still am” isn’t just personal steadfastness; it’s a reminder that war doesn’t stop when the cameras move on, and neither should dissent. The simplicity is strategic: a plainspoken rebuke to our preference for activism as a moment rather than a commitment.