A Heart-Stirring Rally, and a Call to Everyday Action
The June 30 Justice for Immigrant Families/National Day of
Action rally in Deep River was a heart-stirring success. As a social media contact,
I documented and disseminated the happenings: I think the best images are those
of the profound and witty protest signs that marchers made and carried. An
editor friend of mine reached out, a Connecticut newspaper picked up the local story,
and the event got positive press. Protesters across the country put their feet
to work marching and rallying to voice their concerns over the egregious mistreatment
of immigrant families under the Trump administration.
There were more than 200 people at Saturday’s rally. That’s
a lot when you consider that Deep River is a tiny New England hamlet populated
largely by affluent people. So many turned out that we were crowded
shoulder-to shoulder much of the time.
It was hot outside, nearly 100 degrees. That didn’t
slow anyone down. There was plenty of fresh water, and the spirits of all those
good people carried everything along. A happy adrenaline kicks in when we participate
in public protests. If you’ve ever been to one, you know what I mean.
For more information about what Saturday’s rally was about,
check out familiesbelongtogether.org, moveon.org, and ACLU.org.
Protesting is a powerful tool we citizens have in our hands
to stir the pot and incite change. It’s always awe-inspiring to see hundreds or
thousands of engaged people taking time from their lives and giving it to the
work of democracy. Very cool people get together, and we have the chance to
make new and interesting friends and important contacts. It’s a chance to learn and grow.
We all have things that we’re worried about, that make us
angry, that dwell in our minds at night. Whatever that thing is for you, go
public with it. Find a peaceful rally or protest, or organize one of your own. You
don’t have to be a skilled speaker or have advanced experience to lead the
charge, or be a forming part of it. Ordinary people organize extraordinary
rallies.
The point is to not sit at home and fume about it. Making
connections and generating awakenings is what it’s all about. Being seen and heard
on a public platform is powerful. Sticking your neck out when it’s just easier
to let someone else do it is the right thing to do. Seeing to our own needs is primary,
but seeing to others’ needs is what makes us better humans. It may feel as if
there’s no way to correct the course of what happens in the hands of a powerful
government, but our history proves that that’s just not true.
And passion mustn’t stop when the protest is over. With
every ordinary act, we can provoke positive change - and we should. We must take care of each other, body and soul. We must. We’re called to secure a safe
and sane world for the generations that will take our place. We’re responsible for
stewarding this planet. Animals are under our care, and children look to us for
safety. Our descendants will look back on this time and render a verdict on how
we did. I don’t know about you, but I believe it would be best if at least they
could say that we gave it everything we had.
Barbie xo
