I Had My "Why,” March Fourth Gave Me the "How"
Written by: Annie Dennis
My grandma lived one block from where the shooter fired 83 rounds in a handful of seconds on July 4, 2022, killing 7 and wounding 48 people. My grandma had many favorite walks around Highland Park, IL that she enjoyed over seven decades living there. Towards the end, Central Ave was about all she could muster and oh did it provide so much delight in every season of our last year together. Such a joyful place!
She passed away three months before the shooting and my dad attended the Fourth of July parade alone. An annual tradition, for the first time without her. Luckily, my dad was not one of the 55 people shot. As we dealt with the grief of her no longer being with us, we were confronted with lives stolen and lives forever changed. Buffalo, Uvalde, Highland Park, and more. Another kind of grief.
We listened to the stories of those in our town and those across the country. We see how many of you there are.
And let me tell everyone reading this, those stories are devastating. A son clutching a dying father blown apart in the street, parents having to run and choose which child to shield with their bodies, which grandparent to leave behind, families hiding in dumpsters for hours with no way of knowing if the assassin lurks on the other side, a young woman running with broken glass in her feet, shoes long lost in the stubble and stampede to safety. The children murdered. The children murdered. I have hugged each of you who has told me this since.
No one can save us from that. No doctor, no police, no special agent. 83 rounds in seconds. Legally purchased. Over half of those hit people immediately. Destruction. We cannot go on like this. Absolutely not. Federally Ban Assault Weapons Now.
My grandma arrived in Highland Park, IL speaking little English after WWII and she built a life there giving back to the community that gave so much to her. She believed in this country. In my saddest, most hopeless moment, I saw March Fourth's post and I found Kitty's email. I had my why and she gave me a how.
I want to give back because that is what my grandma taught me to do and there is no time like the present. She always told me to wipe your tears - you aren't ever going to get this moment back. Do something and hold your head high.
I believe so strongly this March Fourth team and its network with survivors and other leading organizations is going to change this country because the “why” is there. And it's all of you. We can do this. Pass the ban.