Grapevine Demonstration in Support of Ukraine Yields Insights

Demonstrators supporting Ukraine in Grapevine on March 20Deb Hinton

The First Presbyterian Church in Grapevine sponsored a peaceful demonstration in support of Ukraine on Sunday, March 20 at Peace Plaza, located under the clock tower of the new Grapevine Main.

According to the church’s Communications Elder Deb Hinton, approximately 300 people came by during the two-hour event.

“It was obvious that there were a lot of both conservatives and liberals there. I mean, I was shocked at how everybody seemed to be on the same page about this subject. So, people brought signs about the no-fly zone and more military support from the U.S. and things like that,” Hinton said.

She said that she heard talks of support that crossed political, as well as global, lines.

“I heard a number of liberals saying, ‘You know, this isn't normally my speed. But on this one, I’m feeling hawkish.’ There were people that came out from my church that don't usually come out for anything. There were a lot of people there who either had direct ties to Ukraine or Russia. There were a lot of people with family in Russia, and they kept saying that the Russian people are being lied to,” Hinton added.

Like many other people, Hinton said that she has trouble wrapping her mind around this issue while trying to live in a society in which prices have soared for gas, groceries, and all the other basic necessities to run a household.

“I kept thinking that this thing was going to go away because it just doesn't make sense.

“[The Ukraine/Russia issue] has a lot to do with [rising prices], in my opinion. I was complaining about the gas and stuff to my husband and saying that this doesn't make sense because [Texas] has all these reserves. We’re one of the biggest oil producers in the world, so it’s kind of puzzling. Then I started talking to another friend of mine, who is well-read and is also in finance, like my husband. She said, ‘You are forgetting one major thing: We don't set gas prices. Those prices are set on a global level. This has thrown all the gas supply for Europe and Asia and a lot of other places for a loop, and that is affecting the prices globally.’”

Hinton also remarked that she’s seen a trend of several generations of one family moving in together to deal with this crisis.

“If you start looking at some demographics, there are a lot of multi-generational families living together again. The adult children are coming home and contributing to the maintenance of the home and the family’s lifestyle. We are living in a crazy world,” Hinton said.

Deb Hinton is also an active member of Peace Together, an organization that encourages citizens in Tarrant County to learn from each other and to build peaceful relationships across ethnic and religious lines.