Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com April 4, 2018 Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com /DesertMessengerNews Follow on Twitter @DesertMessenger @QuartzsiteRain LETTERS TO EDITOR POLICY Desert Messenger encourages letters from its readers. Letters should be no longer than 300 words, and may be edited for grammar, content and length. OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE DESERT MESSENGER. We invite you to not only see a problem, but search for the solution to share with the community, keeping the benefit of all in mind. Letters considered libelous, in poor taste, on a personal issue, mean spirited or dominated by Scripture quotes will not be published. Third party letters will not be accepted. To avoid confusion over people with common or similar names, writers must provide a full name and indicate the name they are known by. Writers must provide a full street address and phone number. Rvers can provide the location of park/BLM land, etc. Street addresses will not be pub- lished. Phone numbers are for verification only and will not be printed. Mail letters to: Desert Messenger, P.O. Box 3185, Quartzsite, AZ 85359 or E-mail to Editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 Our Lives rally in Phoenix. I was im- pressed with the students sharing their painful and heartfelt stories... and yes, tears ran down my face as I watched the thousands of students, parents, grandparents, teachers march with signs of both frustration and hope for a better future. Student organizers Samantha Lekberg, Jordan Harb, Jacob Martinez, and Lindsay Schawelson are also going beyond the protest to organize their peers into ac- tion meeting with legislators learning about policy change. We laughed when Jordan said he was grateful for the support of adults, ad- mitting he didn't know anything about insurance and port-a-potties for such a large event. Speakers encouraged the youth they CAN make a differ- ence in the world. Those kids did what Grandma Chipps said...they "showed up" in force and are learning about life fi rst-hand. It took years of efforts of Dr. King and others, for blacks to fi - nally get the right to vote in 1965. Who knows what positive change these kids will create? Let's keep discussing the issues, without bullying each other, to: "Let the Dream Live On." DESERT MESSENGER Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper Proud to be a Quartzsite Licensed Business 928-916-4235 O� T��� - E���� T���! Founded by Walt Akin October 1, 2004 P�������� �� P���� R��� P��������� C�. P.O. Box 3185 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 P�������� ����� � ����� 1st & 3rd Wednesday Sept. thru May with Special Summer Editions June, July & August EDITOR/PUBLISHER Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST Joanne Winer GUEST COLUMNIST Gypsy Jane Finley CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE LETTERING Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.MyQuartzsite.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 2018 © Copyright All Rights Reserved Copyright 2013 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. LIKE US on Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews FOLLOW US on Twitter @QuartzsiteRain By Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear Editorial "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." ~Martin Luther King, Jr. DEADLINE : WED. APRIL 11 for the april 18 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com Neighborhood Watch to meet Thurs. MAY 5 Town of Quartzsite invites every- one to attend the next meeting of Neighborhood Watch at 6:00 PM, on THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2018, at the Quartzsite Community Center. Chief William Ponce said he looks forward to working with the resi- dents to create a safer community. Launched in 1972, Neighbor- hood Watch counts on citizens to organize themselves and work with law enforcement to keep a trained eye and ear on their communities, while demonstrating their pres- ence at all times of day and night. Sponsored by the National Sher- iffs' Association (NSA), the Nation- al Crime Prevention Council says, "Neighborhood watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the coun- try, bringing citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer." For more information contact the Quartzsite Police Department at 928-927-4644. The late Lakota grandmother Vic- toria Chipps used to say, "You can't learn about life by just reading a book....ya gotta show up!" 50 years ago, on the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Mem- phis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. He "showed up" big-time, playing a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assas- sination in 1968. King sought equal- ity and human rights for African Americans, the economically disad- vantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. We are again witnessing peaceful protests occur across the nation; most recently teachers demanding a livable wage in W. Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona; and student-led marches ad- dressing gun violence issues that are rampant in our country. On Saturday, March 24th I witnessed over 15,000 people "show up" for the March For

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