By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
With only two days’ notice, Marjorie Stoneman and Rosalinda Martinez, on behalf of Whitewater Unites Lives, invited interested residents to participate in a local “Rally in Unity” on Main Street near the bridge with the flags on Saturday, April 19 from 12-2 p.m.
Stoneman provided the following welcome, after which Martinez gave a greeting in Spanish.
“Thank you all for coming today to this Rally for Unity in support of so many important American ideals. My name is Marjorie Stoneman, and I am the co-founder of Whitewater Unites Lives. Whitewater Unites Lives is happy to sponsor this rally. Whitewater Unites Lives – WUL – is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.
That means ALL humans – regardless of race, immigration status, religion, and gender – all people.
So let’s spend the next two hours rallying in support of:
- Immigrants
- Social Security
- Medicare and Medicaid
- People with Disabilities
- Veterans
- LGBTQ+ people
- Gun Violence Prevention
- Public Education
- Colleges and universities
- Libraries
- The environment
- Science and Research
- Human Rights
- Democracy
- The Constitution (copies were distributed)
- Kindness
- Civility
- Choice
- Bodily autonomy
- Peace Corps
- PBS and NPR
- The Arts
- Civil Rights
- Head Start
- The list goes on….
Thank you for being here today to celebrate and support all of the good in America!”
One participant indicated that she had counted approximately 130 people in the crowd. Some came from nearby communities. It was likely the largest rally in the city in many years, other than those on the university campus. Stoneman expressed surprise that there was such a response on short notice. “I should not be surprised though because this community has so many people who care for and support others. It’s inspiring,” said Stoneman. Many participants displayed signs; the majority seemed to have gotten Marjorie’s request to “keep our messages proactive.”
An article in The [Janesville] Gazette on April 20 included a report on the Whitewater event. A few excerpts:
- “Calls of “this is what democracy look like,” and “the people united will never be defeated,” rang out Saturday afternoon on Main Street in Whitewater, near Cravath Lakefront Park.
- Jorge Islas Martinez, who started local adult English as a second language classes in cooperation with the Whitewater school district, said in an address to the crowd that he’s an immigrant who loves the United States. He said people in the Whitewater community are scared of the current administration’s view on Hispanic immigrants. “We are a nation built by immigrants,” Martinez said. Immigrants “came here not for handouts, but for opportunity — for freedom, for a chance to contribute, to raise families and build communities,” he added. His address touched on the growing fear among many immigrant families of the threat of deportation and separation. He noted the emotional toll on children who go to school each day uncertain if their parents will be home when they return. This is not who we are,” Martinez said. “We are better than this.”
- Whitewater resident John Wilberding gave out polished rocks to rally attendees, saying they were “courage and resistance rocks” and that he just wanted to do something.
One participant wrote afterwords, “It was a rewarding experience; my first rally but definitely not my last! It was a positive way to turn anxiety into action.”
Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.
