On Sept. 20 I was honored to be able to attend the Climate Strike rally with my son and several of his classmates. While we as a people, as a planet, have much work to do it was inspiring and uplifting to have a day filled with so much resolve, youth and hope. In a day of so many messages I was struck by a few in particular.
First, one of the speakers talked about the intersectionality of the climate crisis and many other issues. They reminded me how issues like violence in our city, education, immigration, racial injustice, and many more are tied into the Climate Crisis as they all impact each other. I was reminded yet again of the importance of addressing this crisis holistically and acting on this and related issues with haste.
Second, various speakers talked about the power of the people and the need for political leadership to take action on this issue. While I don’t remember the words exactly, I took from those comments the importance of political leadership/political will to address this and related issues aggressively. I also took from that message how important it is for me as a citizen to work with elected officials, to push them towards action and to stay persistently involved in making the change we seek.
So what to do? Well, first I think we need to enjoy days like that. Cherish the memories of our children and so many standing together for a clean, healthy future for all. More importantly, one speaker reminded us that Sept. 20, 2019, was not the end of this journey. Those feel-good days and moments are not enough. We need to take each ongoing day to take what action we can. Calling our elected officials, organizing/talking with neighbors, looking out for our neighbors, welcoming all into our communities and so on. There is no time for rest but the memories of Climate Strike 2019 will give me the fuel I need to keep moving.
— Tom Lucy
St. Anthony Park
