March for Our Lives

Since the 2016 election, there have been a lot of protests in DC. We don't make them all, but we try to participate in the ones that resonate most with us -- when the issue is personal or the goal is one we feel strongly about. By all measures, this is one we had to do.

Owen had been at Space Camp all week, but Nora and I were able to devote a snow day to making our signs. Fortunately, fresh from the school walkout the week before, Owen had some sign friendly slogans ready to go and quickly made his on Friday night. Allen attached the kids' signs to their scooters as we weren't sure they'd be able to walk that far, we dressed in orange (the color of the protest since it's what hunters wear so they won't be shot), packed a backpack with water and snacks, and headed over to SWS to meet with other like-minded families.

The walk to the protest was uneventful -- even fun. The temperature was a little chilly, but the sun was out and people would congratulate us and compliment our signs as we made our way downtown -- the kids leading the SWS crew on their scooters. Once we got close the the Department of Labor though, the enormity of the crowds started to hit. A few blocks further, we hit one of the checkpoints and things got a bit intense.

I'd done the first Women's March solo, so I had a sense of what the crowd would be like and so thought we'd join for a little bit and then head home when it got to be too much for the kids. But with this March, we sort of got trapped trying to enter Pennsylvania Avenue, and the crush of people was clearly starting to get to the kids. So an hour and a half into our March, we decided to head home.

We didn't go straight there, mind you. We stopped by DOL for a break and then headed to the Capitol and on our way passed lots of protestors who were just joining. It meant that we missed the speeches, and the songs and we only got to do our chants among the three of us (Allen had a funeral and missed the event), but I think the kids felt like they were part of the movement and had their views heard.

Now hopefully the country will act on them.

(To see all the pictures, click here.)