A great day was had yesterday with my team Kennedy partners, Kathy, Lani, and I. We were all representing Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the environmental lawyer and our presidential candidate at the annual ‘Greening Up the Mountains‘ Festival in historic Sylva, NC.
What a fantastic way to welcome in spring, and be active in promoting environmental awareness, and helping to educating others at an annual event. Traditionally, there are around 175 vendors and 12,000 attendees.
Our combined campaign responses and efforts showed a 75% favorability towards our candidate from the festival goers. About half of them surprised that they weren’t even aware he was a presidential candidate (due to lack of mainstream media coverage and censorship).
We handed out flyers, and directed everyone to his website
https://www.kennedy24.com/environment
I also directed them to my Kennedy biography page. This links his quotes directly to the podcasts where he said them for easy location.
Team Effort
The three of us spoke to hundreds of people. Some really interesting conversations were had with locals and visitors attending from other states. I recall SC, VA, PA, and even a TN water keeper. All of us, uniting from all parties, talking about issues that affect us. Housing crisis, chemicals in our food products, the struggle for us to even afford those products, the endless wars, the constitution and the attack on free speech..
People listened with interest and real enthusiasm. The majority of those we spoke with was in favor of having ‘another option’ outside of the two other parties. Kennedy is that Option!
As our team member Lani says, “So many are open and ready for the change we desperately and obviously need right now. It is time for all of us to have the courage of our convictions and do the work needed to strengthen and improve our DEMOCRACY and NATION. The world is run by those who show up!“
My longest conversation at the end of the day was with a Republican Trump supporter, Steve W., who really respected Kennedy’s effort. He stopped me as I was retrieving our Kennedy signs that I had out all around town. He was full of knowledge, and we talked for about 30 mins. That conversation could have went longer, but I had my team waiting on me.
I love learning and as a lifelong Democrat, recently turned Independent, I don’t look at other parties as my enemy. They aren’t. They are our families, our co-workers, our acquaintances, and our dear friends.
Lazy Hiker and the Jackson Arts Market
We took a break for lunch at the Lazy Hiker, and I stopped for a drink of water and to feed the chickens at the Jackson Arts Market.
From there our group separated for a couple of hours more to continue on our mission.
We regrouped again at Breadheads’ Tiki Shak at the end of the event. This is where our ‘official effort’ ended with a couple of local beers, a pita hummus and tzatziki snack, and a few new friends.
Berlin Wall Exhibit
There was also a ‘Berlin Wall’ exhibit at the ‘Freedom Pavilion.’ This is same building that was used as the police station in the #WoodyHarrelson movie, ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.’
I included a photo of the same building from the 2016 filming for comparison.
Woody Harrelson is also a huge Kennedy supporter.
Inside, there were pieces of the Berlin wall for viewing and for sale. They also JFK, and MLK Jr exhibits within. Both were great men, respected men, just like Bobby Kennedy Jr is to those that have taken the time to listen to what he has to say, as opposed to just repeating the media slander.
What do these men all have in common?
They all are/were: anti-war and peace keepers, have/had the ability to connect with people, are/were driven to end the divisions that separate us, and all three are/were leaders ‘for’ civil rights and worked the people, not the corporations that rule us.
I am so grateful for this opportunity to represent him as my candidate for President. It’s time to tear downs these walls between Americans. It isn’t left vs right, or democrats vs republicans…. it’s about all of us. It’s about uniting ‘WE the PEOPLE and ending the division that keeps us distracted from the real issues! Healing the Divide and transcending the two party system!
“Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect,
but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in…”
JFK (June 26, 1963)
“It is indeed an honor to be in this city, which stands as a symbol of the divisions of men on the face of the earth,” he told East Berliners. “For here on either side of the wall are God’s children and no man-made barrier can obliterate that fact….. just as America is proving to be the testing ground of races living together in spite of their differences: you are testing the possibility of co-existence for the two ideologies which now compete for world dominance…”
“wherever reconciliation is taking place, wherever men are ‘breaking down the dividing walls of hostility’ which separate them from their brothers, there Christ continues to perform his ministry of reconciliation.” MLK JR (1963)
It’s time to reunite this countries people and more importantly, for us to stop the antagonizing of other countries to keep them in a constant state of war that only profits the few. The people, nor does democracy benefit from that!
After Festival Party
The town had a fantastic turnout for this festival, and a follow up music event from 5-10 pm in the neighboring town of Dillsboro, at Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro, and live music from local bands like our favorites, Prophets of Time, Barrel Walkers, and the Fuzzy Peppers.
Kathy and I, enjoyed some great music, delicious food which consisted for me, a spicy buffalo chicken wrap, and she had a spicy broccoli and cheddar soup. We sat around inside and had more conversations with friends: some new ones, and some old ones. It was a perfect ending to a fun, but exhausting day.
Thanks to all that attended both events. We love our #WNC historic mountain towns!
It's too quiet around here. Your words matter!