On Friday evening, the City of Plainfield and S.T.A.G. co-sponsored a vigil in solidarity with the victims of last weekend’s mass shooting at a gay night club in Orlando. Around two-hundred people were in attendance. I took some photos.
Father Gideon of Grace Episcopal Church
Councilwoman Rebecca Williams speaks as Councilwoman Gloria Taylor, Councilman Barry Goode, Amelia Mapp, John Stewart, and Mayor Adrian Mapp look on.
Councilwoman Gloria Taylor speaks.
Bayyinah El-Amin records some of the speakers.
Siddeeq El-Amin
Damaris E. Ortega of UCC Congregational
PAAAS student Alexis Morrast sang to close out the vigil
She drew a standing ovation.
Willa Cofield reads the name of one of forty-nine Orlando victims. Beverly Calland prepares to do the same.
Plainfield View 
David another Great Job, showing Plainfield Cares
First of all, condolences and sympathies to the lives lost in Orlando.
However, lives were lost in the city to gun violence recently too. Condolences and sympathies to those lives lost as well. The city did not organize a rally for those lives. Officials did not come out to mourn their lives.
I think it’s very disrespectful to the families of the slain Plainfielders to see local officials express such open support for strangers of a tragedy thousand miles away. But for lives slain a few blocks away from where they live you get public statements like:
“I am not focusing on the negatives” and “There are murders in every city…” http://nj1015.com/after-4-homicides-in-2-months-nj-mayor-doesnt-want-media-focusing-on-negatives/
Don’t focus on the negative only when it provides good photo ops and political press. If there are murders in every city…be consist in your apathy.
Richard Stewart