After arriving home 2 am Sunday morning and “decompressing,” I experienced a bit of a post “magnificent march” let-down for most of the day Sunday.
It’s Monday morning and I’ve been reflecting on the walk and all of the friends made along the way (my eyes well up as I remember). The most powerful thing that comes to mind is the sense of community developed during the organizing and exponentially reinforced along the way.
The intention to unite peace activists with soldiers and families bore fruit beyond what I could have imagined. For example, when the News 10 interviewer suggested that by marching to Watertown and Fort Drum we were “preaching to the choir” I realized that the so-called choir is far larger than I thought, even when we get off key! We have different ideas and beliefs about how to come to peace, but this war has shown us that we all want peace.
I think the same fears that created the war are the ones that separate us from each other. The walk helped me face my own fears in very tangible ways, with abundant examples provided by so many on how to work through them and unite! — Jim Fulmer
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About the End of the March - the Festival:
People were tired. We — the Marchers – were invited onto the base and the decision was made not to go. With security clearances needed and the time involved, and our previous invitation to be at the Festival starting at 11 a.m., we decided to not go to the base. We also had people commit to the Festival from other cities and needed to be meeting up with them.
There were a couple of threats that we had heard along the way — a threat to stop us from getting to Watertown. And nothing happened. And that was wonderful.
We had worried, and we also organized nonviolent training, a primary focus on open-hearted listening and and not judging, not trying to persuade.
People connected to the campsite showed up, musicians and their friends, a bus from Rochester.
I was dressed as a clown, offering fun and games for the children who were present.
I did a mime “performance,” which worked well with my voice problems. And since so much communication is non-verbal, the mime-clown efforts were fun.
The gathering at the Different Drummer was wonderful. And powerful!
Excellent entertainment and speakers and a powerful unified feeling. The peace movement supporting and caring for the military - the soldiers and their families. They are the ones to pay the price. Particularly powerful testimony came from the women who are members of the military.
I heard that five or more soldiers joined IVAW during the day.
The culmination of the March was what it was supposed to be: A growing and flowering and inspiring process, not simply an event. The joy of sharing and connectedness were profound. – Vicki Ross
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