ONE NATION RALLY-WASHINGTON D.C.

  On October 2, 2010, we came together as one voice, letting all who would listen know that we will always stand up for justice and fairness.  They came from every state.  The old came with their walkers and people with disabilities, with their wheelchairs.  Families with their children as witnesses of that day, that moment, when our grievances, ideas and voices came together to make that declaration of purposefulness.  The young, beginning to understand the outline being presented to them by the guest speakers, such as singer, actor and social activist, Harry Belafonte Jr., host of syndicated radio show and host of “The Ed Show” show on MSNBC, Ed Shultz, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumpka, just to name a few.  Each person having arrived with the wonder and anticipation of what lied ahead.  We really didn’t know what it would be like or what stimulus being there would provide us.  But none the less we came, bus load after bus load, by car and by train.  When we heard attorney, educator and President of AFT ( American Federation of Teachers) speak with such adhesion to our root.  When attorney, civil rights and environmental advocate Van Jones, NEA (National Education Association) President Dennis Van Roekel, and Rita Darragh-Conners, who came from Allentown Pa. to march and be a voice for her middle school students, we then knew we could rise and we could uplift by renewal. We came to create a new voice and new agenda, for the purpose we already knew. We already knew the familiar faces, such as civil rights leader and activists Rev. Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton and Radio talk show host and activist Joe Madison, who are a constant in the reminding of the dream.  But this time we added the plan on how to rebuild our dream of what America could and should be.  We came to remind those who thought we had given up, that today gives us great confidence that we will make America what it needs to be, because we [ ARE ] worthy of such an analogous, great and just America.  We stood up and let them know how proud we were to be there protecting and advancing the legacy that was passed on to us by the generations before us. They fought, sacrificed and some with their lives so that we could be here today to reveal the portrait of America today and the plan we have for America tomorrow.  We walked in footsteps of giants and with us walked giants to be. And now the task begins with our open minds ready to absorb the lessons we need to push forward through the maze of deceptions that are placed along our paths.  Ever seeking and never getting tired but perhaps recognizing that when we pass that inevitable baton, it must contain invaluable lessons that we have packaged for the new recipients not to REBUILD but TO BUILD UPON with the knowledge,conviction and willingness to participate.  LEARN, DISCUSS AND VOTE!

                              Penny McQuaig