In honor of Memorial Day, I decided it would be an excellent opportunity to cover one of the biggest motorcycle rallies around – Rolling Thunder. Beginning in 1988, Rolling Thunder is an annual protest and demonstration pushing for accountability and raising awareness for prisoners of war (POW) and those missing in action (MIA) who have been left behind by the negligence of the United States government. Presently, there are 86,521 unaccounted for service members. As coined by SSG Arthur T. Foss,
“Unaccounted for is unacceptable.”
In light of this, it is a positive that this cause has garnered so much support. This ride draws in motorcyclists from around the United States and the world by the thousands. Unfortunately, this will be the last year the event takes place in Washington D.C. given the rise in costs and complexities of Pentagon security. There is still room for this to change, but for now, the event will become regional and split into many rides across the United States.
Nonetheless, veterans and supporters alike are crossing their fingers that the rally returns to the capitol – myself included. Last year, I was fortunate to have traveled from Chicago to D.C. for the rally with my dad. This year it was my sister’s turn.
What is so disappointing about the dispersal of the ride is that it shows how genuinely careless the United States government can be. When I was in middle school, I learned how politics works when my classmates and I sat through a six hour town hall meeting that went past midnight on a school day. We were there to protest the closing of the Teen Center in my hometown – a place where us latch-key kids could go for homework, board games, snacks and the like once school was out. Needless to say, after speeches from parents, teachers, staff, and countless middle school students – they closed the Teen Center.
This was a slap in the face to me as a twelve year old. Since then, the government has only continued to be a grave disappointment. Politicians are the pinnacle of what Rolling Thunder is not. The Rolling Thunder demonstration shows that there are individuals out there who actually care about those around them. Their fellow Americans, and fellow people.
The disappointment I felt in my local government’s failure through the closure of the Teen Center pales in comparison to the grandeur of what Rolling Thunder stands for – the lives of those who gave everything for the sake of preserving our nation. With nearly 90,000 service members still unaccounted for, alongside the blatant lack of care for veterans facing physical and mental health struggles that persists in the United States, it is clear the government is failing those who are most deserving.
This is why keeping Rolling Thunder alive is absolutely vital. There is an idea that has become prominent, and it’s that politicians are “leaders”. They are not. Their responsibility is to represent the voices of the American people and to enforce changes based on our needs and concerns. This is not what is happening, and this is why protests like Rolling Thunder, which bring to light the necessity for accountability, are so vital. If we cannot rely on politicians, we must rely on one another to take action.
This Memorial Day, we must remember those who served and have made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy things like barbecues on weekends, riding motorcycles, and exercising our First Amendment right to call out the government on their B.S. – which may be the best way to pay our respects and ensure these individuals are never forgotten.
the feminist motorist 