There are moments in life when silence is consent, and something within us demands that we speak our truth. This is a gathering for any who desire an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the many other concerned citizens of Boundary County who choose hospitality, compassion, and a willingness to help those in need regardless of race, creed, or nationality. The gathering begins at 1 p.m. on Sat. Jan. 9 at the Georgia Mae Plaza in downtown Bonners Ferry.

The event will feature local speakers and musicians Barb Robertson and Travis Billingsley. Information about Concerned Citizens of Boundary County and the Boundary County Human Rights Task Force will be available as well as invitations to participate in upcoming events and co-sign a letter of concern. The gathering will conclude with a "choose compassion march" across the bridge for those who want to participate.

The theme for the gathering is from the poem on the Statue of Liberty, written by Emma Lazarus:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

This is an excerpt from the poem which is graven upon a tablet within the very pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty stands.