little activist

Dylan and I attended her first peace demonstration yesterday. (Second including last year's Christian Peace Witness for Iraq vigil and march to the White House, but I didn't even know I was pregnant then.) Saturday's march coincided with the fifth anniversary of the war and the memorial honored and acknowledged the 4007 American soldiers who have died as well as the tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

We drove the hour and a half out to Pittsburgh and parked in Oakland. The weather was sunny and warm by March standards. I was able to change Dylan at a church, and thanks to a nursing cover, I can nurse her easily anywhere, so after a little while, we were good to go. We joined up at the tail end of the rally and walked with the eclectic gathering of several hundred activists, students, clergy, parents, aging hippies, kids on bikes, musicians, and one dog. Dylan faced out in her carrier, so she could see all the posters, flags, and banners, as well as the rag-tag band that accompanied the march. She took it all in and didn't fuss at all, even though I had her wear a too-big sun hat.

We marched down Fifth and up Forbes and walked to Flagstaff Hill at Schenley Park, where people and leaders from different faith traditions offered readings, prayers, and exhortations to continue to work for peace and bring our troops home. Excerpts were read from Martin Luther King's speech, "Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence," and it is worth reading if you have time. His words are eerily prophetic and just as relevant today. It was good to take part in the peaceful, democratic action, and several people thanked me for bringing the baby.

Before she was born, Dylan did make it to one more political action: a vigil at Congressman Murphy's office in support of reauthorizing S-CHIP. However unflattering the shot, we were glad the event received media coverage, and it gave us something interesting for her baby book:)