This is my very first diary on Daily Kos, after spending the last six years as lurker, obsessively refreshing the site through presidential and congressional campaigns, and through major news events. I am writing now because I wanted to share the mission of a group I am involved in, and more particularly, share the thoughts of Monte Frank, leader of Team 26 - the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington.
Team 26 is a group of 26 elite cyclists who will ride from Newtown, CT to Washington, DC beginning on March 9 and arriving on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol on March 12. Along the way, we will stop in Ridgefield, CT, Frenchtown, NJ and Baltimore, MD. Our goal: to bring Newtown's message to Washington in support of common sense gun legislation.
You can read more about our mission at our Facebook site (registration not required).
Monte attended the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the assault weapons bill this week. His thoughts from the long bus ride home to Newtown are after the jump.
Monte posted this on our Facebook page:
"Monte - Did you ride here?" Senator Blumenthal said to me after the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings today. I responded, "No, Senator. Next time."
I am on the bus now heading home to Sandy Hook with the Newtown Action Alliance. We spent the last two days meeting with U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives.
We attended hearings and cried with the families whose loved ones were killed on 12/14. We watched the incredible courage and poise of Vicky Soto's family as they spoke about Vicky, re-lived the events of 12/14 and asked for change in small meetings with U.S Senator Harry Reid and U.S. Representative Cantor and U.S. Representative Mike Thompson (chair of the House Gun Task Force).
And, we met Sandy Phillips, our new friend from a community tied together by the evil path of gun violence. Sandy's daughter, Jessica, was killed in Aurora. She played hockey, covered the Colorado Avalanche, and loved nutella. She had the world ahead of her as a sports broadcaster. Sandy told me: "Jessica was my biggest fan, and I was hers."
Sandy described in graphic detail to Senators and U.S. Representatives how her daughter was murdered, how her head was "literally blown off" in that movie theater by a madman with a semi-automatic weapon and a 1,000 round drum. He had purchased over 6,000 rounds on the internet without a single background check. I asked her how she summoned the courage to talk about her daughter's death to Senators and Representatives, and she responded: "I can't let her be just a number." Sandy has dedicated the rest of her life for the cause. She is now working with the Brady Campaign.
Sandy is now Newtown and Newtown is now Aurora. We are bonded together by a common experience defined by mentally ill young men with easy access to killing machines. We share the same goal - to end the madness.
Dr. William Begg testified powerfully at today's Senate Judiciary Hearing. He described how as the ER doctor on call on 12/14 in Danbury, he was unable to save any of the kids. With tears he told the families: "We tried." The testimony brought tears to almost everyone in the room, including Senator Al Franken who was visibly crying.
Then, I looked over at Sandy, who sat a couple rows up by herself, and she was sobbing. It was only fitting that one of Newtown's teachers walked over, gave her hug, and put her arms around her.
These tragedies bind communities from coast to coast - Tucson, Columbine, Aurora, Virginia Tech and now Newtown. In D.C. these last two days, we met victims from all of these communities.
Will yours be next?
Or, will we act as a nation to curb this unnecessary gun violence?
Please help this vital cause. For starters, simply write to your Senators and Representatives and tell them what you want. And, if they do not do it, vote them out of office.
This time is different.
-Monte
www.sandyhookrideonwashington.com
If you would like to come to one of our events, here is a brief listing of when and where we will be:
1. Our sendoff event will be at Reed Intermediate School, Newtown, CT on Saturday, March 9 at 8:30 a.m. Speakers will include Newtown First Selectwoman Pat Llodra, Senator Blumenthal and Senator Murphy, Congresswoman Esty (CT-05) and Congressman Himes (CT-04), Rabbi Shaul Praver and Reverend Matt Crebbin. Congressman Himes will be joining the ride for the first segment.
2. Our first stop on March 9 will be at Veterans Park Elementary School in Ridgefield, CT at approximately 11:30 a.m. Congressman Himes and Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi will speak.
3. On Sunday, March 10, we will have a midday stop at Frenchtown Elementary K-8 in Frenchtown, NJ at approximately 11:30 a.m. We expect Frenchtown Mayor Warren Cooper to welcome us, and we are working on some additional guests.
4. We are planning an event in Baltimore, MD on Monday, March 11 at 4:00 p.m., details to come.
5. On Tuesday, March 12, we will be meeting at Proteus Bicycles in College Park, MD and departing at 11:00 a.m. Cyclists of all abilities are invited to join us for the last 12 miles to the Capitol.
6. Our arrival at the U.S. Capitol will be marked with a rally which starts at 1:00 p.m., on Tuesday March 12, with the Connecticut Congressional delegation and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) expected to speak.
If you can't make an event, you can still help by simply liking or sharing our page on Facebook.
Thank you so much for your attention!