Policy, Practice & Information Updates
National Association of Social Workers
Rhode Island Chapter
Wrap up for April Bicycle rides for Marriage Equality.
I. Some General Thoughts.
This series of actions were totally
green and very economical. The trips cost me $9 total and no fossil fuel products were used with the exception of having to
take public transportation across the Jamestown and Newport bridges. (The law prohibits bicycling across these bridges).
I also contributed to carbon dioxide in the air with my heavy breathing at times.
We discovered something very valuable.
As you know these activities were meant to be low key and basically a one on one attempt to bring the issue of Marriage Equality as
a Civil Right through this venue. I am a strong believer that it takes both large scale (macro) and very tiny efforts (micro)
to bring positive movement on social justice issues. However, due to the great press coverage we received, we also impacted
several Rhode Island communities on a large scale.
Newport Daily News: Headline front page above the fold.
Kent County
Times: Large front page article.
Westerly Sun: Large front page article.
All newspaper coverage contained all key message points
and large color photos.
II. New Category of Experience...Creepy
Dating back to 1970, my first distance bicycle ride,
I have seen and experienced just about everything. (I have rode over 30,000 miles of distance riding). I have been pushed, hit
by two cars and one truck, been frighten by ghost like spirits, had things thrown at me by speeding cars, cursed at and have had a
number of other unpleasant experiences.
