Hands Across New Jersey

Last month I learned about a protest that brought me back to my youth. The event was called: Hands Across New Jersey. The path was to follow the route General George Washington took from Fort Lee to Washington Crossing as he retreated his troops.

Hearing the name brought me back to Hands Across America, an event that took place over Memorial Day weekend in 1986. I was a high school junior. My mom heard about it and drove us to a spot in Hackensack where we linked hands with 5.4 million people from Battery Park in New York as onlookers could see the Statue of Liberty through 16 states and Washington, DC to Long Beach, CA overlooking the Queen Mary. Participants were encouraged to donate $10 each (about $29.48 in today's dollars). Organizers were building on the 1985 hit "We are the World" to raise awareness for hunger. Money raised went to fight hunger and homelessness. After expenses, about $15 million were raised.

This was not that. 

Held on Wednesday, September 17 in honor of the day the Constitution was ratified it did not seem to gain traction. Still, in anticipation of crowds, I parked a half a mile away and walked to the site. It had rained about an hour earlier, and was forecast to rain again, but at the moment it was dry. I crossed I-95 using the median, the same as I do when heading to Rider University for the fireworks each July. I passed the police station on my way to my stop: 2116 Lawrence Road -- in front of the university. I saw a woman wearing a hoodie under an ASAH umbrella and a couple across the street. 

That was it!

By this point it was after 4:30. It started raining again. The solo woman left to go to a staff meeting she had skipped in favor of this protest. The couple crossed the street and went home. Feeling foolish standing alone with only my hands to hold, I retreated to my car. By this point the rain was coming down in buckets.

What went wrong? Was it the weather? Was it the day of the week? Was it lack of getting the word out?

The next mass protest is scheduled for October 18.

I just want to be done with all of this!