Some of you know me, even if you don’t know my name. Every school day morning since February 2025 some of you see me, walking with my middle-schooler and his friends on the way to Julian. You see us because we’re the ones carrying the Ukrainian flag, the sign that says “Honk for Ukraine” and the other that says “ICE OUT/ICE Belongs in Glaciers, Not in Neighborhoods.” Yup, I can feel some of you mouthing “oh …” right now.
Why do we do it? With the many frightening changes in the world, my 12-year-old wanted to know: What can a middle-schooler do that matters? This is one of the things he came up with.
And I must say, I’ve learned a lot from these many months of experience since. First, I know that only a small portion of you will honk, even if you agree. I know that you’ll honk more if it’s nice outside, more if there are more kids in the mix, and more if you’ve seen us a number of days in a row. I know you’ll honk less if you haven’t seen us before – a lot of people just stare. I also know that fewer of you honk today than honked last spring.
How do I know this? We count every honk, and we compare our numbers over time. Our high-water mark was 115 honks in the 18 minutes it takes to walk to Julian. That was toward the end of last school year, with great weather and the unforgettable local experience of ICE. In the depths of winter, when it’s coldest and grayest, we tend to get honks in the 30s. This fall our honks have been middling – 40s to 60s. I sure hope it doesn’t mean we’re wearying at the moment when our nation – and the world – needs us most.
Thanks to the many of you who honk, buoying these 12- to 13-year-olds, showing them that they can do things that matter in the world. To those of you who maybe think it doesn’t matter, please know that your solidarity, community support and engagement *do* matter. In fact, we literally count on it, every single day. If you see us, I hope you’ll honk; and even if you don’t, I hope you’ll vote (early) and make it count.
Amy Rosenthal
Oak Park