Over the past several days, I have written two diaries explaining the mission of Team 26 and the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington:
Team 26 is a group of 26 elite cyclists who will ride from Newtown, CT to Washington, DC beginning on March 9 and arriving on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol on March 12. Along the way, we will stop in Ridgefield, CT, Frenchtown, NJ and Baltimore, MD. Our goal: to bring Newtown's message to Washington in support of common sense gun legislation.
Those diaries can be seen
here and
here.
Although the devastating events of 12.14 have kickstarted a national debate on gun violence, we all need to recognize that gun violence does not just occur in small suburban towns. Children who live in our cities have been subjected to the daily fear of gun violence for decades.
We are therefore proud and excited to announce that our third day of riding (March 11) will conclude in Baltimore. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a leader on gun violence issues, will greet us at City Hall in Baltimore.
Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks addressed the Ride in his column today.
From Washington to Annapolis to Hartford, Conn., wherever new gun restrictions are being debated, it's important to remember Sandy Hook. That's not a plea to the emotions. That's a plea to human decency and common sense — a reminder of the personal pledges we made to do something about the dangerously easy availability of assault weapons in a society that claims to be civilized.
On that Friday in December, the nation howled, "Enough," and after years of doing nothing, elected officials are trying to do something to turn back the violence that rages due to the mixture of guns, criminality and madness.
We look forward to meeting Baltimore's leaders as we ride on to Washington D.C.