Personal Pilgrimage

How many times in your life have you said to yourself, ‘I wish I would have gone to...or, I should have been more involved in...or, Why didn’t I take the time to...?’ The accelerating life of getting older makes our days shorter and the promises we made to ourselves longer. We Americans cram so much into our lives, we always think we will have a chance to do it tomorrow. What if tomorrow never comes? I say, “Be Present and Accounted For!” Hear, Here! I personally have always had this on my list of things to do, places to see, people to see. Lord willing, if I am honored to be a grandmother, these are experiences I can draw from and share with my grandchildren, rocking with them on my front porch.

When I discussed the pilgrimage to Washington, DC for this Peace Rally with my children, Erin Setzer, 17, and Nicole Jenkins, 13, we decided that it was too much of an educational experience to pass up. Basically, a one-of-a-kind memory of a lifetime. I’ve always tried to instill in my children independent-thinking, and what a great opportunity for them to exercise that right by joining a group of individuals who are upholding their basic freedoms: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

It was a long drive, approximately 7-1/2 hours. We stayed with my sister, who lives in Riva, MD (just outside of Annapolis which is approximately one hour east of DC). The next morning was the big event at our Nation’s Capitol, January 27, 2007. We drove to the Metro station, which was a fabulous experience for the girls and I. Everyone should take a Metro train ride at least once in their life. You never know who you’ll meet, and trust me, just figuring out how to use the Metro was a challenge in itself. Nevertheless, it was so exciting and we thoroughly soaked up every moment of the experience.

We arrived in Washington, DC, “into the unknown,” around 9:30 AM, for the United for Peace Rally. It was so awesome, you could feel the vibe in the air, folks were pouring in by the bus load and Metro to come together for one common cause, to end the war, and bring our troops home alive. I do respect and the support our troops 100 percent; I just don’t support any further escalation of troops. I met so many nice people from age 80 to 5 years old, from all walks of life and from all parts of the United States. The coolest part for me was having press credentials and moving in and out of the secured stage areas to take pictures of the speakers, actors and activist organizations. The best word to describe seeing people gathered as far as the human eye could see was “overwhelming”. The best depiction was taking a photo from the press pit. My personal assessment and estimation is over 500,000 people made the same pilgrimage we did. It was absolutely fascinating to see the hundreds of thousands of creative signs and feel the Peace vibe, each expressing their personal freedoms and civil liberties. This sheds the light on “We the People of the United States ...”

I sincerely want to encourage every man, woman and child in America, especially you, our devoted Focus readers, to take the time to read The United States Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independence. Learn and understand what Democracy means. Don’t allow others to do your thinking for you; don’t believe that the final word comes from a major television network or canned media. Seek out the truth. Remember to be respectful of other’s rights and opinions. Whatever issues mean the most to you, whether it be the environment, health care, clean energy, global warming, securing our economy, Social Security or bringing our troops home alive, stand up for what you believe, get involved, remember our government works for us. “We the People” ! We elected them. We must hold them accountable if we think they are doing it wrong. Get out and register to vote and believe that We the People can make a difference! The beauty of living in America is we are each entitled to our opinion. So, if it is your choice to sit on the couch and flip the remote, then guess what...that is your personal freedom. I am so glad I had the courage to speak out, participate, be an example and witness that ...DEMOCRACY is a beautiful thing!

-Lynne Jenkins

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Sixty-Six North to Capitol Hill,
Joining hundreds of thousands in honor of those innocently killed,
Bearing our cameras, walking shoes, and crafts,
In an effort to prevent the Millennium’s first draft,
United with Extremes, Moderates, and both sides of the Wing,
For the first time in my life, I heard Democracy sing,
Counter Protesters with nothing to defend,
Deep in their hearts they know this war doesn’t need more men,
Some think our leader lies, others want ‘off with his head’,
However, the most impacting signs were the numbers of the dead,
You may envision us with our arms wrapped around trees,
But it is a shame that hippies are generalized to be the only ones wanting peace,
Saturday the 27th was a beautiful day in Washington DC,
It truly reflected the way this country ought to be,
Support our troops by bringing the heroes home,
At the end of the day with missing families and soldiers they are alone,
UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE the huge crowd cried,
Without the demand for oil we wouldn’t be tied,
We marched along to the drums of the fine folks from Cakalak,
Anxious to see Iraq have its own country back,
But after the Peace Rally was all said and done,
We are still in a war that cannot be won.

~ Chelsea Bren