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Why We March

Rather than write a Contact article this week, I’d like to pass along—in written form—a radio spot I heard while driving my kids to school this week. The journalist who wrote the piece is named Zaidee Stavely. Zaidee’s mother was my kindergarten teacher, my mother is Zaidee’s God-mother, and Zaidee and my sister, Anna were best friends growing up. So naturally, I’m proud of the work Zaidee is doing, but the real reason I’m recommending this radio spot to you is that when I heard it, I realized that it gave expression to why I feel it is important to go into East Oakland once a month to march in support of the Ceasefire program, an initiative that brings faith and community leaders and law enforcement together to get guns off of Oakland’s streets. Since the ceasefire program began crime has fallen in Oakland, and while I suspect our marches are the least important part of the program, still I’m happy that so many folks from MPC show up every fourth Friday. Even if our work has but a small effect, I’m glad to be part of anything that will prevent the kind of tragedy upon which Zaidee is reporting. Here’s the link.

Ben