Young people from Eastern Long Island traveled to the United for Peace and Justice rally in Washington, DC on Saturday along with a crowd variously estimated at from 'tens of thousands (A.P.) to 150,000 (Bob Herbert in the NY Times) to 500,000 (Leslie Cagan of UPJ).
Most of the youth were high school students.
On the trip home we talked to them about why they were there and what impressed them about the rally.
High school student Alana Perino from Cutchogue said she was amazed.
" I didn't think there would be this many people. This was beyond what I thought .... the energy that everyone had"
Amanda Schall a senior at Pierson High School in Sag Harbor was impressed with the unity at the rally.
"In this march we were really united. everyone had pretty much the same, exact purpose for being here .... Bring Our troops Home Alive.. and that's the message we need to promote"
Kari Williams, a high school senior from Sag Harbor can't vote yet. She said
"None of us are able to vote so we have to figure out a way to be heard and this is a perfect way to do it"
Dan Costanzo from Sound Beach, a student at Suffolk Community College in Selden said
"This is a cause that needs to be heard and needs to be voiced."
Costanzo talked about what is wrong in high places:
"It used to be that the message was love.. now it's been overun by money and power and greed."
We asked what the students will do when they return to school. Amanda from Sag Harbor wants to educate her classmates:
"Our youth doesn't think ... they just accept what is put in front of them. Giving them another opinion, showing them what they could do might just help"
Amanda says her government teacher "said 'Write letters to your Congressman.' Maybe it's time that we actually do."
The students travelled along with 100 people from the east end of Long Island. Three buses (*) with over 150 people from Suffolk county were at the rally in DC.
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Adapted from a report broadcast on the 6:30pm Local News on WPKN 89.5 Bridgeport and WPKM 88.7 Montauk.
For more on the trip to DC including photos see North Fork People of Conscience.
For the impressions of a parent and journalist, including how to count a crowd see Suffolk Times publisher Denise Civiletti's blog.
* The buses were organized by North Fork People of Conscience, the Suffolk Peace Network and East End for Peace - East Hampton.
