Skating For Justice

by Preston Peet-
for DrugWar.com

July 1, 2003

The SSDP activists
photo- Charles Kibicho

Proving that drug law reformers are not suffering from amotivational syndrome, 10 members of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy skated all or most of the 49 miles from Binghamton to Ithaca, NY (06/22/03) in the first annual Skate for Justice event, calling for an end to the War on Drugs.

Braving sporadic rain, steep hills and lots of traffic while reaching speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, the skaters carried signs decrying the war, wore t-shirts emblazoned with “Skate For Justice", and handed out “StopTheDrugWar” stickers along the route. “I think that actions like these are effective not only for public view, but for the ambition of the activists involved,” said event organizer Justin Holmes, member of the SSDP at Broome Community College in Binghamton. “We had lots of waves and beeps and thumbs-up. Many people knew what was going on, and the reaction was extremely positive.”

“By traveling on the roads all day and passing thousands of motorists and pedestrians, we were able to raise awareness that drug policy reform is an important contemporary issue,” said Tom Angell, a member of the board of directors of the National SSDP, and who was representing the University of Rhode Island SSDP on the journey. “We proved that we have the motivation to push our bodies to the limit to raise awareness for what we believe in.”

For Angell, who called the SFJ “a pilgrimage with justice as the destination,” the most emotional part of the day was when the participants walked to the top of the largest hill along the route in silence, in honor of all the activists who have lost their lives while fighting to end the War. Arriving at their final destination, Ithaca’s Lost Dog Café, to a stirring round of applause, the skaters settled in for a half-priced dinner and made plans for an even bigger and better event next year.