The Daily Kibitz was there, and this is our "field report" of how it went down. (You can even try to see us in the photo above - we are to the right of the second white van by about 10 feet. Yes, we are holding up signs... that will certainly distinguish us.)
We arrived early and thought the rally would be a bust, because the Metro wasn't swamped the way it was with The Women's March of 2017. But as we settled in and waited, the avenue steadily filled. By the time the event began, it was Women's March worthy.
Except this one was exceptionally well produced. Volunteers were everywhere to help. Police and paramedics presented in abundance for safety. Access ways for ambulances to help all along the route were well designed (this was a serious flaw in 2017). Loudspeaker systems projected along the route AND out to cross-areas where crowds could not see the stage. 20 jumbotrons set up all along the way.
But the most striking difference with previous events was the overall quality of speakers and the well-paced story arc they represented. They were all students. Some were from Stoneman Douglas High School - the leaders of this event. But most were from Chicago, DC, Los Angeles, New York... and Newtown. It was an outstanding example of the Intersectionality of young American gun violence victims: suburban, urban, white, black, latino, male and female. And their stories were relentlessly compelling.
"I learned how to duck bullets before I learned how to read," declared Edna Chavez of Los Angeles. Telling her story of living with fear, of her murdered brother Ricardo... and the giant crowd chanting his name. Powerful stuff in two minutes:
David Hogg is one of this event's organizers. "Welcome to The Revolution," he began. It felt like it. His speech was a real Call To Action. His contempt for Congress was palpable as he gestured to the Capitol Dome behind him, saying "this isn't cutting it!" "To those politicians supported by the NRA that allow the continued slaughter of our children and our future, I say get your resumes ready." This from a guy who has received copious death threats! He is pissed and gives no fucks. Watch:
Another rabble-rouser was local high school senior Matt Post. His, too, was a Call To Action. "The immoral, the obstructionist and the complicit are lining up to block our path." His simple remedy: Vote Them Out --
"Vote them out. Vote Them Out. VOTE THEM OUT. VOTE THEM OUT!!" This recurrent chant resounded off the building walls along Pennsylvania Avenue. Whenever there was a pause in the action. Whenever they were urged to yell it out. All day long.
"Guns have become the voice of America," observed Chicago high schooler Mya Middleton. She shared her shattering experience with a gun. Though not deadly in its result, as were the stories from others, it demonstrates the lasting power of trauma. All these kids will suffer from PTSD. All people exposed to gun violence will, too.
A major "WOW" moment came when 11-year-old Naomi Wadler, a local, adjusted the podium microphone to her height. Her direct and eloquent statement, so much wiser than her years, resonated through the crowd. Simply put, her words were Truth. Hers was probably the best speech of the day, two minutes of brilliance:
There were about 20 speeches from students. They were all moving. It was hard listening to how kids cope with immediate gun violence, whether from the gritty urban streets of DC, LA and Chicago, or the pampered suburbs throughout our country. They ranged from gut-wrenching to soul-lifting. We couldn't help but weep when wounded student Sam Fuentes lead a "Happy Birthday" sing-along to her slain friend and classmate, Nick Dworet, who would have turned 18 on this day. Shortly before, she had barfed at the podium during her speech. "I just puked on international television... and I feel great!!" She rallied and went on. If this "Happy Birthday" rendition doesn't get to you, you're not human:
"This is not a moment, this is a movement," sang Lin-Manuel Miranda, earlier in the program. But the movement's moment truly arrived at the end. The last speaker, Emma Gonzalez, the face of the Stoneman Douglas rebellion, took the stage. After reciting the names of the 17 victims, who would "never again" enjoy the simple pleasures of everyday life, she ceased speaking. Instead, she stared straight ahead as the crowd absorbed what has been called "the loudest silence in the history of US political protest."
As the quiet grew, the focus on her still visage increased. This was the remarkable moment, when a half million raucous protestors fell completely silent as they watched Emma stand witness to her fallen friends. At first, there are some shouts of encouragement and some scattered chants. But then the power of her fierce silence grows and grows for nearly 4 minutes. I've never experienced anything like it. Honest to God, watch this and see if you've ever come close to this:
"Fight for your lives, before it's someone else's job." Mic drop.
Well. What do you do after that? It was the grand finale, even though Jennifer Hudson came out to sing a song (appropriately, considering her mother, brother and nephew were killed in Chicago by a gun). It was all over. People turned to figure out how to get to their Metro stop/bus/car/neighborhood/nearest toilet. We all admired each other's clever signs. "I'm a teacher, not a sharpshooter," read one. "The scariest thing in a school should be my grades," read another.
The astonishing thing about all this is that it happened because of the efforts of Stoneman Douglas students. Certainly, they received plenty of cash resources and assistance from adult "professionals". But they have been at the point of the spear from the beginning. They have presented themselves with such eloquence and poise that it's easy to forget they are high-schoolers. Here is an interesting candid moment that took place at a DC comic book store the day before the event (I've transcribed it from its original source):
"One of the Parkland school kids just came into the shop, and we talked for a little bit. He was a ball of energy, talking a mile a minute about comics, the insane schedule he's had, the people he's gotten to talk to since the shooting, and how he asked to have his schedule cleared to 1pm today just so that he could get a break.
"I don't think that people understand that while these teens are flying around giving interviews and being the face of a massive movement, they're barely holding it together. The young man that I spoke to was stressed out about having to give a speech at the march tomorrow, and I saw his hands shake as he held his portfolio. He said he saw the new Deadpool trailer, but couldn't watch the movie because he'd been classified as having PTSD, and it made him sad. He told me he didn't really have time to stay up to date with comics, but still found time to download some scans of George Clooney's wifi, and that he was actually surprised how much Obama says "fuck".
"Two of his classmates came in later and buzzed around the store, arguing about which was more "endgame": Joker and Batman, or Harley and Ivy. The girl on Team Harley/Ivy was in specifically for the 6th hardcover of Scott Pilgrim, and loudly declared that she didn't care if it fell on Prom, she was going to Free Comic Book Day.
"They're kids. They're hanging on by a thread, and they're mourning their classmates, and they're meeting with celebrities, and they're getting hammered by the NRA, and they're on the cover of Time, and they're screaming for change, but they're still just kids. They're talking shit about comics continuity when a day beforehand publishers are quietly donating millions to their cause. They're taking on the weight of the world, and they're trying to stay mindful of their impact of their discussion on gun violence and its direct effect on communities of color, but they're also cracking Dad jokes.
"These kids are stronger than they should ever have to be, and anyone that can look them in the eyes and still tell them that guns are more valuable than their lives are the lowest of the low. They've seen shit that many of us hopefully will never see, and they found it within themselves to try and do something about it so that no other student has to either."
Finally, there is this. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), the nation's premier public health entity, has long been prevented from studying the effects of gun violence. The NRA-led politicians ensure it never gets the funding. However, other places have done so. Here is a brief summary from The Harvard Injury Control Research Center, a part of that university's Public Health program:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/guns-and-death/
TL:DR, "More Guns = More Homicides." Over and over. Country by country. The conclusions are unmistakable. Maybe this guy might even understand... well, prolly not:
