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On 07/27/2008 by holly stadtler to Adele Welty
In the days leading up to US invasion of Iraq I felt helpless to stop a vengeful act...an act of agression filled with hatred and hostility. And one year after the invasion, I felt despondent over what was happening overseas and what was happening to the image of America abroad. I felt betrayed by my country's leaders, and I felt ashamed of our actions as the bully on the block. But I didn't think I could change the system. Then I saw video of Adele Welty and learned about the tragedy that propelled her to act. The video was of Adele in tears coming face to face with policeman armed with billy clubs and weapons in a line on the Capitol grounds. She was risking arrest in a protest the day before the US led invasion in a statement to Congress that this was an inappropriate act. And what made her story more moving was that Adele lost her son at the WTC 9/11/01. Yet her reaction to the terrorist acts was not one of revenge...after grieving for her son and watching the nation become motivated by fear, Adele joined September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. To this day I still cry when I think of those images of Adele on the Capitol grounds and how quickly many in this country moved towards war rather than peace. And here is a woman who many would expect to opt for revenge. She became a model for change. She became an inspiration to me that not only can we work for change, but we must, especially when it comes to hatred, bigotry, fear mongering and war.
Adele's arrest on the Capitol grounds captured on video led me on a 4 year journey which has culminated in a film called FINDING OUR VOICES. Since that day, Adele has continued to work for peace in many ways, including walking the halls of Congress and talking with lawmakers. By capturing her actions on videotape, my colleagues and I have hope to inspire countless others to keep hope alive and to continue their struggle to make the world a better place.
To those of us who worked on this film, Adele is a shero, and I'm proud to know her and to help tell her story so that others may be inspired. |
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