The Connecticut Effect: Get it done, Congress!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Connecticut Effect: Ride along with Sandy Hook Ride on Washington

The Sandy Hook Ride on Washington started from Reed School and went to the Sandy Hook Fire Department, which is at the entrance to the Sandy Hook Elementary School and where coverage for that tragic day was centered.  There, Team 26 announced, individually, each of the 26 Victims they were riding for.  It was moving, to see the 26 green and white jackets in a big circle sound off like that.

 

 

A co-worker of mine and who I consider a friend and mentor, Stephen Badger, is one of the leaders of Team 26.

Good Luck!

Stephen is the original owner for the Fredmobile!  

From the fire house, we rode up through the center of Sandy Hook and then up through the center of Newtown on Church Hill Road.

At the Flag Pole we turned north to make a loop at the Newtown Ambulance Corps to further honor the first Responders.

 

When we got to Bethel, I turned around and headed back but first I stopped off at English Apothecary for a Granola bar!

I took the hillier route home that took me over Castle Hill!

The Fredmobile

The Connecticut Effect: Rally for Sandy Hook Ride on Washington

"With the taking of our daughter Grace, I can feel no greater pain, nor have anything left to fear. I appeal to those who have not experienced such a loss to look deep into their hearts, that which they think can not be done," said Chris McDonnell, Grace McDonnell's father.

"We lost the love and the light of our family, our daughter Grace. Since that day, I have made a solemn promise that her life would forever be celebrated, her vision of the world as a beautiful and peaceful place, forever honored, and her voice forever heard,"

I was awestruck by Chris McDonnell's words on Saturday morning.  After what happened on 12-14-2012 in the town that I call home, I can no longer be silent - we have to speak up and put a stop to this endless violence.

As the poster (on the right) says, just because you have the right to bear arms doesn't mean you have the right to an assault weapon.  Too many people focus on the last part of the 2nd Amendment, the right to bear arms, but they forget, don't know, don't understand, the full import of the 2nd Amendment was to defend our country after taking it away from the British, and thus the right to bear arms as our founding fathers described this right means to also form a militia and there doesn't seem to be many militias around here these days.

Originally, I had intended on riding from home but then thought better of it for the black ice potential so I drove up to Reed School with the Fredmobile on top to ride along with Team 26 from Newtown to Bethel and then I would head back.

There must have been upwards of 500 people that came out to the rally.  It was amazing!  Most of the Ride-along cyclists were from the Bethel Cycle riding group, as well as a few other groups here and there.  Seeing that a good majority of the riders were from Bethel it wasn't surprising to see so much Bethel kit.

Photo credit:  Michael Duffy, Newstimes

Of course no one looked sexier than me on a screaming orange, old school Cycloscross Bike from Cannondale, except perhaps for the Team 26 riders in their green and white riding jackets!