By Steven L. Aldrich –
I joined approximately 100 to 150 residents Saturday to support the national “March For Our Lives” movement at Oswego High School. It was an overcast, blustery, and cold day, but the spirits, grassroots activism, energy levels, were exuberant.
The rally was organized and led by Janet Lynn, who stated to the participants that she was doing this organizing for the first time. She said the youth leaders, and their actions, motivated her to raise her voice and rally others from the Oswego, Montgomery, and Aurora areas.
This community event was family-oriented, inclusive, and welcoming towards individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, personal beliefs, spiritual faiths, sexual orientations, and gender identity. There were multi-generational families present. Participants ranged from toddlers, grade school, to high school, and college students. There were grandparents, activists.
The event opened with a prayer and moment of silence. The names and ages of the victims from Parkland, Fla. were read by members of the crowd.
As the rally continued for the next three-plus hours, individuals kept arriving to join those already assembled to send a clear, concise, and purposeful message to our civic and political representatives.
Drivers who passed the site of the rally were overwhelmingly supportive. Several joined the rally or expressed their support by honking their horns, waving, shouting, and other positive demonstrations.
I am proud of, humbled by, deeply moved, and encouraged by the maturity, clarity, and sincerity of the young people who shared their messages and personal experiences, in our communities, across our country, and even internationally. They have done their homework, research, and formulate action plans to continue the momentum of this movement in the weeks and months ahead.
Near the end of the rally, residents from diverse backgrounds stepped forward to address the crowd, speak their truths, and personally demonstrate that enough is enough. To send an unequivocal message that continued silence, inaction, equivocations, and evasions are no longer acceptable.
It ended with a final prayer and blessing for the victims, their loved ones, our Nation, plus those across the Fox Valley who have chosen to actively participate and make their voices heard.
