Now that I have had a few hours to decompress and reflect on the Freedom Fight, I can without hesitation express how proud I am of our movement and the unity and selflessness shown by our volunteers and members this week.
My vision for the event was simple yet extraordinary in detail and planning. My goal: give our members an experience to remember.
From hotel accommodations to navigating the capital, it was my hope that every single person who attended would feel empowered, at ease, and would know their presence was welcomed and celebrated.
Beyond our organization’s mission statement are several core principles we as leaders stand behind and promote; principles such as “everyone has a role, find yours,” and “one conversation at a time,” all while priding ourselves on our members’ extraordinary ability to remain the friendly voice of vaccine choice – which is no easy feat given the hostility aimed at anyone who dares to suggest anything other than the idea that all vaccines are good for all people all the time without question.
We all recognize the great lengths to which the opposition will go with their bullying, intimidation, and outright deceptive and unethical practices to advance their agenda. But something that might not be acknowledged as well as it should be is their blatant attempts to divide our movement. Irresponsible journalists and big pharmaceutical companies have already divided a nation, and now the only thing left is to divide is US – our movement, those who value informed consent, medical privacy, and vaccine choice. They seek to bring doubt to fellow advocates, organizations, and their leaders and members alike.
But friends, I am here to tell you that what I saw last week at the Freedom Fight was extraordinary unity. From day one of Freedom Fight planning, every single VIP guest speaker we asked to attend said: “I AM ALL IN, what can I do?!” No one had an agenda other than to offer themselves, their teams, and their knowledge to the cause. Every single speaker humbly attended at their own expense and showed extraordinary flexibility in their role.
There were the selfless volunteers, too many to count, who worked tirelessly both before, during, and after the events. There were the impromptu ASL interpreters who jumped in to provide their services during Day One when they were desperately needed. There were Capitol staffers who held down signs as the wind nearly swept them away. It was quite symbolic really; despite enormous pressure, no one lost their footing.
Speaking of extraordinary strength in the face of adversity, let’s acknowledge our children. My goodness, our children. Kind. Compassionate. Willing to hold babies, lend a hand when needed, and comfort vaccine-injured siblings. Showing maturity and composure far beyond that of those attempting to intentionally derail our event with their childish, immature, and, quite frankly, appalling tactics.
Friends, we rallied, we cried, we worked, but most importantly we did so while locking arms in UNITY.
There was something for just about everyone – all walks of life – as we somberly honored vaccine injury while simultaneously celebrating the participation of those happy and healthy. We prayed for our future and toasted to our success. We balanced intellect with passion, highs with lows, laughter with tears. We joined UNITED as democrats, republicans, doctors, and DADS!
Friendly organizations stepped in, supported, and organized. It was indeed an incredible show of unity and support. Diverse in many ways, yet united in our common commitment to protect our most basic and fundamental human rights. In Typical TFVC member fashion, with brilliance, elegance, and an unwavering spirit: making it yet another CRUSHING SUCCESS!
With the deepest of love and gratitude, THANK YOU!
Absolutely amazing event! Thank you for everything you do for us! ❤️
#HOPEISM
Great job!