It was a gorgeous day in Philadelphia on Friday. I left my desk early, picked up my kids from school, and we soaked in the last of the late afternoon sun at a playground. As we headed home the news from Paris came through my speakers and into the ears and hearts of my children.
Mom, aren’t you going to Paris? Where did a bomb come from? Why are they shooting?
I pulled off on the side of the road, turned off the radio, and spoke to my children. “I don’t know what’s going on but I do know that there are bad people and good people. It is our job to be the good people.”
In 10 days I’m going to Paris. I am going to Paris because my heart tells me to be one of the good people. I will join thousands of others whose hearts call out for peace, for justice, for understanding. I will join millions of voices from around the world united for change. I will march in solidarity with rich nations and poor nations and peaceful nations and nations at war. I will carry my children in my heart as we join together to fight for a more secure, more peaceful world that can only be realized if we act on climate.
We don’t know the full extent of the pain and anger in the hearts of those who attack the innocent, but we do know this: Climate chaos will lead to a world where nations are fighting over the most basic of human needs, and millions of refugees flee extreme weather, heat, and drought.
We know that, unless countries like the United States show true leadership and boldly forge a path to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we will continue to see violence and pain in places like Syria, Beirut, and France.
As I continue to grieve for the victims in Paris, Beirut, and more, I believe it is my job to be one of the good people: to be a person who reaches out to heal where I can, to take action when I can, to be the best person I can be.
In 10 days I am going to Paris. I will do what I can do, which is represent the 600,000 members of Moms Clean Air Force demanding that the United States be a leader in the global call for climate action. I will make sure that each and every one of your voices joins a chorus of parents from Australia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, and Mexico, from Finland and Peru and India and China, a chorus of parents from around the globe calling for peace, for justice, and for action to protect our children.
Please join us, as we demand international cooperation and action for a more peaceful, safe, and healthy future for our children.
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