Filibustering the Filibuster: A Vigil

“Charlotte Bacon, age 6, December 14, 2012, Newtown, Connecticut.”

 From the steps of Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, Connecticut and outside the Capitol Building in Washington DC, a roll call of those whose voices were silenced by gun violence began. As the first name was read at one o’clock in Newtown, a nearby church rang out the time. For some reason, the clock had not moved forward with the coming of spring and its chimes intertwined with human voice as the first names-those lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School- were read. With the reading of Mary Sherlock’s name, the bells fell silent; the human voices did not.

Gun violence is not age discriminant. The names of infants, whose age was logged as “0” on the spread sheet, were followed by octogenarians.  Occasionally, a blank appeared where a name should be; denoting the identity of the victim was unknown, as was their age in some cases. Others were followed by the names of  family members. There were 3,300 names on the list that began December 14, 2012 and extended to March 2013.

Throughout the sunlit day, an intense evening thunderstorm, and chilling early morning temperatures, volunteers read the names. From time to time a passerby would pause, listen, and then approach the podium, quietly asking if they could read. Each person offered their voice to those silenced by violence for one reason: fourteen members of the US Senate had announced they would filibuster, rather than allow discussion of gun legislation to move forward.  This handful of Senators would “hold the floor” by making impassioned speeches, reading from various documents of their choosing  that would support their views, while blocking other voices- and a vote.

 Our filibustering of the filibuster in DC and Newtown was simple.  The names of those killed by gun violence in our country beginning on December 14, 2012 would be read as long as the threat of filibuster existed or for the duration of an actual filibuster. We were several pages into the fifth reading of the list of names when word reached us that the filibuster had been averted. Through tears we flipped to the very first page, as one volunteer read the names of those taken from us in Newtown. We hugged and made our way home realizing, that while this vigil had come to an end, our vigilance must continue.

 Hundreds of miles away, in Washington DC, 3300 physical representations of various faiths were staked across the National Mall by religious leaders from Newtown and other parts of the country. Each marker symbolizes a family and a community those in ministry have consoled; guiding them as they struggle to come to grips with their  “new reality, new normal” in the wake of gun violence. The placement of crosses, Stars of David and other markers by these ministers of faith also note the numerous vigils they have held in their own communities and are now holding nationally, as an interfaith council.

 It is their hope-and ours- that those inside the Capitol hear the voices of those who speak for the silenced and that our representatives let the dialogue move forward-uninterrupted.