By Maddy Vitale
Colleen Loughlin and Joan Costello, with matching signs that said, “Jersey Strong Sisters,” headed to Ocean City Saturday morning because they had to stand for what they believe in.
“I’m trying to help my country. I don’t want to see it destroyed” Loughlin, of Galloway, said. “What’s going on now affects all of us.”
Costello, also of Galloway, remarked, “We are World War II babies. We don’t want to see everything that was built up over our lifetime, torn down.”
The women were just a couple of about 600 people who attended a peaceful rally and march for Ocean City’s 2018 Women’s March, organized by Suzanne Forrest.
Before introducing speakers, Forrest reminded the crowd how important it is to be involved. “We need people in the community to run for something,” Forrest said. “We have the power. It is time to take action by political means to take back our power.”
Lawyers and politicians spoke of how far women have come in history, how important it is that they vote, how they are elected to public office, and how now, perhaps more than ever in history, it is vital that their voices be heard.
Forrest called the speakers inspirational.
“I wanted people to have an inspiration and have the possibility to run for something,” she said.
Signs held high read: “Resist. Resist. Resist.” and “Make America Think Again” “Love Not Hate” “Make America Kind Again,” as marchers crowded into Mark Soifer Park on Ninth Street, to listen to speakers.
Speakers included Atlantic County Freeholder-At-Large Caren Fitzpatrick, Northfield attorney Susan Korngut, Danielle Davies, a former Cape May County freeholder candidate, and Tanzie Youngblood, who is running for congress. They spoke about the critical political times facing the nation.
“We will not be put down or pulled apart,” Fitzpatrick said to applause.
Fitzpatrick spoke of how being involved in your community doesn’t mean you have to run for office, you could volunteer. The most important thing, she said, is to have an active role, know what is going on in the world and know you have a voice and power.
Korngut, a Northfield councilwoman, told the spectators to remember one thing: “They can’t ignore us when we have a seat at the table,” she said to cheers.
She spoke of how her parents worked hard and that her mom believed there is a hero in everyone.
Then Korngut told the children of today to get off Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter.
“Get up,” Korngut said. “Go out. Go out and change the world, because you are our future.”
Davies told the crowd that inclusivity and opportunity are so important.
“We have a voice and we have had enough,” Davies said to cheers.
And it isn’t about winning or losing elections, it is about being actively involved and letting your voices be heard, Youngblood told the onlookers.
Then she shouted into the microphone, “We are taking our power back to the people.”
For some people, who lined the park holding their signs, it was an important day that served as a reminder of the power in numbers. Some people made it a family event.
Terry Camioratto, an Ocean City mother of two brought her daughter along to hear the speakers.
“For me, it is so important because it is about women’s rights,” Camioratto said of the march. “We want our daughter to grow up knowing these rights.”
That is why it was so important to be at the march, Camioratto’s friend Anne Beckert, of Ocean City, said of why she joined her friends.
Bettina Kemenosh, an immigrant from Germany, lives in Ocean City. She has her concerns.
“I fear what is going on in this country,” Kemenosh said. “Just the way people are being treated doesn’t seem right.”
Lisa Stewart – Garrison, Michelle Post and Wendy Walker took a drive down from Cumberland County. The friends said they wouldn’t miss the march for anything.
“We want to set a tone of inclusion,” Stewart-Garrison said. “We want to support the march locally. That is why we wanted to come to Ocean City instead of Philadelphia.”
Walker said she fears the government is disintegrating, which is why she thought it so important to march.
After the speakers finished, Forrest thanked them and the crowd. She cautioned the marchers to carefully and peacefully march in the downtown in a showing of solidarity, which they did.
