Sunday, January 22, 2017

I see a lot of "Why?" and a shake of the head from people who didn't get the march.

Actually, the Why? was followed by a simplistic explanation that usually boiled down to "there is no message" or "it's just about abortions."

I marched yesterday in Frankfurt, Germany, my girls marched yesterday in Savannah, Georgia, and Washington DC. Each of us marched for very different reasons, and none of us marched about abortions.

And that was the point.

This March was for women's rights.

And Human Rights.

And Gun Regulations.

And clean water.

And reproductive choices.

And health care.

And immigration reform.

And safety in schools and on college campuses.

And LGBTQ equality.

And SO. MUCH. MORE.

What people don't seem to understand or accept is that the tying theme to this whole thing wasn't a particular politically recognized issue.  It was that WOMEN care. WOMEN organized this.  WOMEN matter. WOMEN have a voice, and the ability to make change.  Women of all shapes and sizes and color and religion and origin and orientation.

Women around the world marched.

Do you think the women marching in Nairobi were out there because of Planned Parenthood?  They marched for equal pay for equal work. And so. much. more.

Do you think the women in Glasgow marched for abortion rights? Abortion is legal there and not under threat. They marched against the new American leader and his voiced opinions that are sexist and racist. And so. much. more.

Do you think the women in Antigua marched because pink hats are cute? They marched for climate change science and protecting the earth's resources.  And so. much. more.

Do you think women in Chennai marched because of gun violence? Guns are not their primary issue, rather being able to walk down the street freely and be in public spaces without fear. #IWillGoOut

Don't try to pigeonhole these 3 million women and their supporters around the globe.

From every background, they marched for what matters to them... education for their children, healthcare for their pre-existing conditions, air to breathe, the arts, safety when walking alone.

And so much more.

I saw somewhere else the question, why march at all? You're just whining and nothing has been lost.

Aside from the obvious fallacy of that statement (Trump is already dismantling the ACA, and disintegrating federal support for our LGBTQ family and climate change science) I'll still add on my own "yet."

If you see a storm brewing, do you wait until the clouds have broken before you take precautions with your rain gear and your home?

If you see someone sidling up to your car with a crowbar, do you wait until the windows are smashed and the radio gone before you call the police?

Do you allow babysteps of erosion to your rights and freedoms to "see what happens" or do you take someone at their word that they will whittle away your way of life and the freedoms you have and tell them No right from the beginning?

Do you watch a war brewing from afar, watch it take out a person on your left and a person on your right, and simply wait for it to be your turn? Or do you look at those people, lock arms and say to the aggressor "they're with me.. and if you try to come after me, they have my back."

Women united are a powerful force.

Women brought their daughters to show them what millions of voices together sound like.

Women brought their sons to show them that human rights belong to everyone.

Women brought their husbands and boyfriends and uncles and grandfathers, to stand together in unity through our diversity.

To those who none of this applies, yeah, I get how it sounds like whining.

If you've never been, and more importantly never will be, a victim of sexual assault, it's pretty easy to dismiss the concerns of others, and the talk of the current president perhaps does seem quaint and harmless.

If you're not a race minority or an immigrant and there's no chance you'll ever be mistaken for one and treated as such by an administration that doesn't like them and wants them gone, then of course it seems reasonable to build that wall and enact harsh immigrant laws.

If you've never lost anyone to gun violence.

Or suicide.

Or drugs.

Or a disease that should be cured with drugs that are available but not affordable.

Well, there's really no way to explain how you should care about that. I don't wish for anyone to experience it, but there are many who don't get why something matters until it specifically happens to them.

The women's march was about people and their own situations, but more than that it was people recognizing the greater world.  That not everything is about me, even if some of it is about me. Healthy women in Uganda, female political representation in Brazil, clean rivers in India, gay rights in Jordan.

It all plays a part in who we are as humans.

As Americans.

As women.

Onward.

112 comments:

  1. Thanks for this. I shared this with my brother, a Trump supporter, who is getting interested in learning why these marches happened.

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    1. Glad to hear he might be interested in the Why.

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    2. Thank you for your explanation. Even with this information, there seems to be a huge number of "rights" that mean different things to different people. While my issue primarily deals with the cruel treatment of women and children in other countries, I also have great concerns about Planned Parenthood and the thousands of deaths of aborted children every year. How this is acceptable to so many people is beyond my understanding. I will continue to pray.

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    3. Carolyn, Yes. These marches were for everyone, including you. Pro-life, Pro-choice. I do think your support against cruelty is beautiful. However, not understanding Planned Parenthood is not a reason to not stand up. Planned Parenthood saved my life when I went for a routine check-up and they found an aggressive tumor in my neck. I am 6 years cancer free and owe my life to them. Planned Parenthood is not only about abortions and many GP's do abortions as well. They educate young people and old and give them a safe place when needed. Planned Parenthood has abuse counseling, rape counseling. If you even decide to have an abortion, you have to watch videos and understand the gravity of how it will impact your life. I had to make the awful choice to abort during my cancer treatments. It's not black and white. Perhaps visiting a local clinic and talking to the doctors there will help you understand what they are about. Get it straight from the horses mouth. Thank you for your fight against cruelty.

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    5. Good for you for speaking up for planned parenthood and all the good they do! I feel that everyone has the right to decide what they want to do with their body and the government should stay out of it!

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    7. Abortion is not a political issue; it's a public health issue. Women have always sought abortion & they will continue to do so whether it's legal or not.Get it out of back alleys & do it somewhere clean & healthy.

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    8. As Gladys said, everyone has a right to make their own decision about abortion. I would bet 99% of the women who have them do not WANT to have them. I believe strongly in the march and would have been there myself had I been physically able to walk. And I'm 66 years old.

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    9. Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses to why women marched.

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    10. I applaud you too! I cannot see where i could post without reply to a reply so had to here

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    11. I applaud you too! I cannot see where i could post without reply to a reply so had to here

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  2. I have been missing your voice ...so glad to see Cindy share this and fantastically well written.

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  3. You are amazing!! You have put words in our mouths that we have struggled to find! THANK YOU!

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  4. This is a terrifically written piece, and I think it perfectly captures the spirit of the events yesterday!

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  5. I love that you covered so much of what yesterday was about. Most pro- life women feel that it was only about abortions. Thank you for explaining what they don't get.

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    1. That's a pretty broad statement. Many of the pro-life women (and some of the men) in my life were marching and nobody with whom I've had a conversation felt it was only about abortions; quite the opposite actually. It was a celebration of what's good and achievable in this country and what we need to keep an eye on. I don't mean to sound preachy, but not all pro-life people are anti-women. Thank you for opening this conversation opportunity!

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    2. She didn't say all she said most. I'm glad you were there and I am happy that we can all think and believe what we want. I am even more happy that you can choose to have a baby and I can choose not to. #freedom #rights #WOMENSMARCH

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    3. Yes...this is exactly what I am saying to my pro life friends. The choice remains as the individual woman's choice. A very difficult choice, and one that needs support and education throughout the process.

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  6. Would love to be able to share the above with those who don't get it. Some people think it was because our candidate lost the election and we are just whining about it.

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    1. I was at the March and I heard very little about Hillary. There were no Hillary chants. it wasn't about her. Except that she represented the concerns of women but I was surprised at how little she was mentioned and happy to hear that it was focused on women's issues and not on Hillary.

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    2. I was at the March and I heard very little about Hillary. There were no Hillary chants. it wasn't about her. Except that she represented the concerns of women but I was surprised at how little she was mentioned and happy to hear that it was focused on women's issues and not on Hillary.

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    3. notwithstanding all the thoughful and substance by this intelligent and feeling woman..I believe there was pure and simple, a massive and visceral contempt and dislike for Persona of Donald Trump...it is clear they are repulsed my the man...It is all of the foregoing and some good will definitely remain for the good of all...I believe that Trump will definitely create far more good then harm when he walks away in four years...doubt he will run again.

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  7. Thank you for your well thought out words about the "whys" and I agree totally. I'm sharing this as I believe it's message is important.

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  8. Very well said! I wholeheartedly stand behind and commend all those who marched worldwide. I want equality, not only for women, but equality period. I'm fighting to oppose this new administration that threatens and my rights, i.e., social security, Medicare, affordable healthcare, to name a just few. I oppose this new administration that threatens the security and freedom of all Americans through bigotry, racism, hate, disrespect and immature petulant behavior that will result in worldwide conflict. I oppose this new administration because they do not represent the true American ideals and beliefs.

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    1. I do not understand why you feel this big threat from Trump administration? You will benefit from many of his policies if he gets them passed. Try researching his plans instead of listening to main stream media who are just democratic propaganda machines. They have been poisoning America for years now.

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    2. Reread the section about preparing for a storm. Based on his words thus far, his actions over the years, and his blatant behavior toward women and his excessive use of power to influence, it was a wise choice that women organized to basically say, "hey listen, we have been watching and listening very carefully, and we take you at face value, and we want you to understand, we are prepared to take on the very issues you have dismissed or disrespected." I'm hoping and praying those of us who are terrified will get to say, "phew, I was wrong, and I'm so relieved he turned out to be a good president."

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    3. He is already dismantling the ACA. No one seems to remember how expensive private health insurance used to be, or how they could refuse to insure you for the smallest thing, or how if you'd ever had ANY problem with any part of your body (in my case, a previously torn meniscus that had been repaired) they would never cover ANYTHING that ever happened to that part of your body. Despite the fact that no one knows what is going to replace it, they are ready to dismantle the ACA - that TERRIFIES me.

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    4. to NJG above: Please explain to me, and the millions of people who actually did march in protest against everything Trump stands for, how will people benefit from his policies?

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    5. He's dismantling the ACA. How awful. For some. The creation of the ACA was awful for others. I'm one of them. I LOST my benefits because of the ACA. And can I purchase healthcare through the ACA? No I can't! They want to charge me anywhere from 75%-250% of my income. So maybe I should quit working, collect welfare, have no income, then maybe I could get healthcare coverage through the NOT-AFFORDABLE-HEALTHCARE ACT. I've been working my whole life. Do you really want me, and thousands of others in my shoes, to take the welfare road just so we can get AFFORDABLE healthcare insurance? I was self-employed for many years prior to the ACA debacle and I could always find an affordable plan. I just spent 2 months looking for ANY health insurance I could afford and there is NONE. I just thank God that Trump is now in office so on top of me having to pay for all my healthcare out of my own pocket (or just do without), I won't be facing a fine by the IRS (adding insult to injury). The ACA is INHERENTLY flawed and NEEDS to be re-written. Nothing will be perfect for everyone, but if you are still insisting the ACA was a good thing, there's just no point arguing with a fool. Do some research & see if there's anyone who isn't calling it an unmitigated disaster.

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    6. Interesting. I have also worked all my life. Before the ACA, medical insurance for my family was 1/4 of my paycheck, more than my mortgage payment. I felt like I worked for insurance. Now my rates are reasonable. We should fix it for people like you, but not dismantle it. We are moving in the right direction. Obama asked for help from the senate for 6 years to improve it.

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    7. In answer to "Be Reasonable" I say that there are many, many people (including me) who are still saying that the ACA is an amazingly helpful thing. Obviously most any law should be looked at to see if improvements can be made, including the ACA. However, to even think of throwing the whole thing out is preposterous and terribly dangerous for so many! I have worked all my life as a social worker, and even with a master's degree and licensure as a licensed clinical social worker I made little money and had to pay a great part of my salary for insurance, but I had the attitude that at least I had insurance, unlike many of my clients (many of whom also worked very hard). I am now in a situation where I could not get insurance because of pre-existing conditions (which I have no control over), and I have insurance--good, inexpensive insurance--through the ACA. I am sorry that many people have been caught in loopholes of some sort--mainly caused by insurance companies and their desire for profit over the good of people they insure or refuse to insure--and certainly we need to adjust parts of the ACA and also hold insurance companies and employers to the mandate for good, inexpensive insurance for everyone. What we surely don't need is a president who has vowed to throw out the ACA without having any clue about what to replace it with! And I'd like to point out that this is a man who has NEVER had to think a day in his life about not having the best in healthcare or being without the means to pay for it!!! He has no clue what it is like to be in your situation or mine or most of America. If he truly wants to help Americans he can work on getting legislation passed that will guarantee that we all get the same kind of healthcare that he has! Also, saying the same old tired garbage about having to get on welfare to get insurance is completely incorrect; as I said I've been a social worker for over 20 years and have seen a lot of changes in Medicaid availability (or lack thereof), and many of my clients (on welfare, off welfare, etc.) are not eligible for any type of health care insurance. You are spreading harmful information which adds to the stigma of the working poor and those who are disabled who do not qualify for Medicaid or other insurance and who have to do without care. I realize that you may not have known these facts and hope this information can help you understand how much of the wrong information has gotten out and increased the stigma to those who are most vulnerable in our society.

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  9. I read this post initially on FB and commented that maybe I was wrong about this march. All my opinion was based on the news coverage and sound bites from the Hollywood elites and so I initially thought the whole thing was ridiculous. However, now I see Soros was heavily involved, Pro-life women were barred from marching and Madonna stated as a spokesperson that she wanted to blow up the Whitehouse! How can you expect to achieve your loftly stated goals with this evil promiting it??

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    1. Anti-choice protesters were not barred from marching. And Madonna is one person--she doesn't speak for anyone but herself.

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    2. I marched and even I was upset by Madonna's comments (in fact, I didn't even hear them because they were after most of us started marching). I think the plurality of ideas expressed in this piece can be extended to the plurality of people who spoke- not everyone felt the same about every speaker.

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    3. Pretty sure that NJG is just trolling this page.

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    4. Pro-Life DOES NOT mean anti-choice. Although, the Pro-Life Group could have marched, they WERE banned from being an official partner in this event.

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    5. We didn't even realize it was Madonna speaking bc we were so far away, but we did hear the white house comment and those around me booed it. There definitely weren't cheers following that statement. She's Madonna...always pushing the edges. But, she didn't speak for all in that moment...far from it.

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    6. I was there. The fact that George Soros is a philanthropists who is prepared to invest in issues that happen to align is of absolutely no relevance what so ever but we thank him for his generosity. Pro life womens organisations are not sponsors of the march however pro life women were welcome to attend. Pro choice allows you to be Prolife, it does not work the other way around. The pro lifers made their issue abortion and successfully minimised all other concerns of the march. I do not believe they will be thanked for that. But that is my personal opinion.What Madonna said was the complete opposite of what the RW is claiming. All of this could be found by googling reliable sources and the WMOW website itself which states it's mission clearly. I was there when Madonna spoke. She was very clearly advocating non violence. If people booed it it was probably because they could not hear the entire sentence. Was it perfect for everyone? No. It was an event that grew out of a grassroots movement, the structure came after. They acheived an incredible thing in a short time. NJG is rabbitting a list of weak RW talking points. Taking funding away from Planned Parenthood is guaranteed to increase abortion rates and death from abortion.

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  10. Pro-life people were not barred from any of the matches. As far as Madonna, I can stand Trump...he is a vile person but I don't condone violence. I must ask that maybe some of the places you get your information is not correct or has their own agenda. Why do you call people from Hollywood "elites"? Do you refer to the GOP backers as the billionaire 1%ers? There are 2 sides to a coin.

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  12. Michele: I shared this on my Facebook page here in Knoxville, TN. Knoxville is a blue dot in a very red area. I've been a freelance writer for thirty years so writing is my business, and I must say this is the best explanation of "why we marched" that I've seen. In writing this so clearly and so movingly, you've done a tremendous service for all of us. Thank you, and I hope it blows up all over the country and you get the credit you deserve. Kudos!

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    1. Thank you, that means a lot.

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    2. Adding my voice to Patricia's as a fellow author and blogger. Thank for the writing this well-crafted and thoughtful piece. I just shared it with my circles. Thanks for saving me writing time!!

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  13. Thank you! I will definitely share this.I'm hoping just one or two of the people, who have said negative things about the march, will read it with an open heart.
    Your words, express exactly how I feel.

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  14. This is so well articulated, thank you. I'm 76 and this is the first time I've ever marched. I am concerned for many of the things you mentioned. We don't want to wait til we start losing those things that are important to our country before we speak up. Let our Government know we are watching them and we will NOT tolerate it, we will ROAR. I'm from Knoxville. TN and St Petersburg Fl where I marched.

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  16. Thank you Michele for your words - you've captured the broad and all-inclusive nature of why so many women (and men & children) took to the streets across the world.

    Catherine (former foreign service brat)

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  17. This just hurts my face. As his first order of business Trump signed an executive order to repeal the ACA.
    Here's what this means... even if you are safely covered behind employer-provided insurance, the protections set forth in the ACA (Affordable Care Act), apply to you, too. And if those protections are repealed along with the rest (or any part) of the program, you will also be affected.
    That means you may be trapped in a job, because your pre-existing condition may mean you will not qualify for new insurance offered by another employer, and the cost of private insurance would be prohibitive. If your employer shuts down, lays you off, or even changes insurers, well, you are out of luck. The Senate GOP voted this week that they would not require an eventual ACA replacement to protect against discrimination for pre-existing conditions, which was the standard before the ACA.
    It means that you (a young adult under the age of 26) or your adult children (over 18) may find yourselves without the protection of insurance, as the Senate GOP voted last night that an eventual ACA replacement will not be required to allow young people to remain on their parents' insurance up to the age of 26.
    It means that if you have a high-risk pregnancy, or life-threatening illness such as cancer, you may not be able to afford all the care you need, because you may hit lifetime or annual caps. If you have an infant born with any kind of severe medical condition, or premature, they may hit their lifetime insurance cap before they are old enough to walk. The Senate GOP voted last night that an eventual ACA replacement program would not be required to prohibit lifetime insurance caps.
    It means that if you are a struggling parent who is uninsured or under-insured, you will no longer be able to count on at least your kids getting the routine medical and dental care they need under the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). The Senate GOP voted that CHIP is not required to be protected by an eventual ACA replacement.
    These provisions of the ACA affect everyone in this country, not just those without insurance through their employers.
    If you are not okay with these changes, call your representatives and let them know what's important to you. Nothing has been set in stone yet, but our legislators have shown us a map of what they plan to do if constituents don't make their voices heard loud and clear.
    Copy, paste, and post (do not share) on your timeline, if you feel this information needs to be passed on.

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    1. He was not rolling back coverage, he was rolling back the financial penalties of the ACA. The ACA was supposed to make healthcare affordable, so people would purchase it with their own money, and be guaranteed coverage. That did not happen at all. What it did, was to force insurance companies to provide coverage to all people, some at a reasonable rate, comparatively, and others at a much higher premium. When they saw this happening, the first thing that was reduced was the coverage, and people had to pay more. It forced an unnatural business cycle onto the insurance companies from day one. Premiums rose, coverages declined and everyone had access to coverage, for more than what was being paid before. That brought the government into the picture, they began to subsidize premiums, regulating services and coverages. Premiums went up again, and you are left with what is now one of the worst healthcare systems in the world, all because of ACA. What Trump is trying to do, is to keep the good parts of the plan, where everyone gets covered, and stop the penalties and taxes that go along with it.

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  18. I was watching the march in Washington and EVERYWHERE!! thanks to NBC's split screen. It filled my heart with joy and hope to see so many women being courageous and taking their power back!!! I marched against the Viet Nam war (not the soldiers who were drafted) and I marched against racism in my home town when a young black man was shot. And I marched for womens reproductive rights in our state capitol. I'm an elder now and don't have the stamina to participate in this march, however I am so proud of those who marched and took my place. Thank you all!

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  20. This is beautiful and so powerful. Thank you for sharing!

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  25. Wonderful explanation Michele. Having been involved in social justice my entire life I'd like to offer a song I co-wrote with Rose Vaughan for the Women's International Peace Conference held in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada in 1984. We've come much too far to have our rights threatened in 2017! https://soundcloud.com/cheryl-gaudet/03-people-of-the-world

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  26. Thank you for this. In Portland we had about 100,000. The signs people carried addressed just about every issue you could think of. Women care about humanity and creation and I think that became apparent in the signs. One thing that has bothered me about some of the replies here, is that people don't understand that you can be pro-life and for choice at the same time. I am absolutely pro-life - I vehemently oppose the death penalty, birth control should be made available around the world to whomever wants it, and every baby should be born - if at all possible. For various very good reasons that is not always possible and could even cause the death or incredible pain and hardship of others. No one should make this decision without the utmost prayerful and contemplative consideration, if they are at all capable of such. However the choice is still the woman's and must remain an option, and we should never judge that agonizing decision.

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  27. I have 3 simple questions. 1. If outsides don't understand the why from the beginning how many results are expected? 2. Did these marchers not care about these things before Trump became president? 3. Why all the "PUSSY POWER" signs?

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  28. If anyone needs talking points today when they go back to work and have condescending women who won't look down from their golden towers ask them why they marched:
    Republican vs. Democrat Political ideology aside, Trump is someone who:

    1) Called Mexicans rapists
    2) Led the false birther movement
    3) Proposed banning all Muslims from our country
    4) Suggested creating a national registry for Muslims
    5) Mocked a disabled reporter
    6) Disparaged decades-old allies of the United States while in the next breath heaps praise on a Russian dictator that has killed political opponents and jailed members of the press
    7) Stated John McCain was not a war hero because he was captured as he "likes people that weren't captured"
    8) Boasted how his wealth and celebrity enabled him to sexually assault women and has since been accused by 12 women of sexual assault
    9) Stated some of the women that accused him of sexual assault weren't attractive enough for him to assault
    10) Said a federal judge that was born in Indiana was not capable of being fair because his parents were born in Mexico and "he wants to build a wall"
    11) Settled his Trump university lawsuit for 25 million dollars for systematically defrauding people that were trying to better themselves
    12) Said women should be punished for having abortions
    13) Hired a white supremacist to run his campaign and then appointed that man to be his senior advisor
    14) Boasted about not paying income taxes
    15) Spent $10k from his fake foundation on a portrait of himself
    16) insulted an opponent's looks and the wife of an opponent
    17) Alluded that the 2nd amendment people should assassinate Clinton
    18) Stated he would jail his political opponent if elected
    19) States an opponent's father was tied to the JFK assassination (which used the National Enquirer as a reference
    20) Won't release his tax returns
    21) Is trying to squash freedom of the press
    22) Is under investigation for conspiring with Russia to influence the election
    23) Attacked the cast of Hamilton
    24) Attacked a private citizen (UAW Leader)
    25) Attacked the parents of a fallen soldier

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  29. What you said! I marched for a bunch of reasons, *one* of which was the recognition of body agency for women/anyone (not just "abortion"- much much broader). Anyone who thought it was about abortion was not paying attention.

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  31. Thank you for addressing this for us. I was so mind-boggled when I heard/saw "Why?", it left me speechless.

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  32. Well said! And we keep on marching ....

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  33. Thank you. Before Saturday, I had wondered what would happen on Sunday and the day after that. Now I know: people care deeply, and will continue to care very deeply as they take action upon their convictions. My sign said: Dignity and respect make America great!

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  34. I am of the other extreme.... I have been fortunate to have experienced all the "travesties" listed except for being an immigrant. However, I was a minority living in the hood with 3 small children, abused, battered, but never a victim. I found a way to change my life without putting a pink hat on and crying injustice! I made my own justice.
    I am a survivor of many things, suicidal thoughts, suicide in my family, drug addicted son whom I lost, cancer survivor, BRCA carrier, domestic vilolence sufferer, watched many I love die from cancer, having 2 children that both I was told to abort...I could go on...Instead, I found a way to survive...Not a victim...I don't think I want to play victim. I don't have it in me!
    I watched as a young girl was being sexually harassed almost raped by a gang member in my section 8 apartment...I didn't whine or hide! I dialed 911 and ran outside to stop it!
    I've had a gun held to my head! I didn't run and hide I bought my own and learned how to use it! My son is gone...I didn't run and hide I took action and it didn't entail disrespecting myself with a pink vajay-jay on my head or giant p#$$y sign or costume! I take a stand in my way...But implying that I may not understand because of "see above share" is ludicrous. Whoever wrote this can only see one side...I try to see all sides and have a great love for almost all people and I more than tolerate those I don't really care for...

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    1. Way to go JoLynn Seagriff!! You sound like a very strong human being with a positive influence on our human race.

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  35. Well-stated and summarized, and very shareable. Thanks for taking the time to write and share this. <3

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  37. Why did people March? Because on January 19th 2017, I got told by Benefeds who manages the Federal Long Term Care Program, that I needed "MY HUSBANDS PERMISSION" to have my billing come to.me instead of him. I am 65 years old, am a Federal retiree, am an attorney licensed in California and Virginia, have always paid the family bills and managed the money, and requiring my husband's permission for anything was overturned 40 years ago. Two weeks earlier the told me I couldn't ask if the got the fax about his account because they were seperate and I wasn't authorized. That's why women have to keep marching.

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    1. That has nothing to do with women. I'm guessing your insurance is in your husband's name and that is why you need permission. If the insurance was in your name as primary, your husband would need YOUR permission to access information. Nothing to do with being a woman.

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  41. Thanks for writing this. I was unable to make it to the march because I had emergency back surgery a few weeks ago and am unable to walk. I just married my wife in October, our one month anniversary was election night. I'm generally concerned for my family.

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  45. Dallasmom why do they have a right to sponsor the Womens March. That's ridiculous. You cannot make others accept your sponsorship. That is not a 'right'. All women were invited to the march. There was no vetting at a gate. There were Pro life and Trump supporters there. No one chased them out. For the most part they were allowed to do their thing but they were not going to do it with out a reaction! If Pro Life women want to have a march, sponsor one.

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  48. I appreciate your point of view, but "the march" was portrayed as an anti-Trump response to his Presidency. Furthermore, the presenters did not represent all those women's rights supporters that were there to effect positive change. If the mainstream media would report unbiased news, the voices of women could be heard in a productive manner. Let's find a uniting voice to help all our concerns for women's rights around the world!

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  49. Thanks for posting this. I have seen a lot of posts from women who think the March was not for her because she is a strong woman who can stand on her own two feet. I say good for them for being strong! However, they are missing the point that it's not necessarily about us individually. It's about women standing together and women supporting each other to have our voices heard. Not all of us are able to do that on our own and it's high time we, as women, stand united as sisters, no matter race, color, creed, issue supported or political persuasion. It's about a sisterhood to stand up for what is right for each other and for all human beings! I will never understand why any woman would refuse to stand united with other women just because she feels she is strong enough to stand on her own...share your strength with other women who need a helping hand...you never know when you might need to draw on the strength of your sisters!!! I stand united, hand in hand, with all women across the globe - even if you refuse to do the same. I am there if you ever need a friend even if you disagree with me on every issue.

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  50. As an 85 year old mother of 5, grandmother of 12, and great-grandmother of 10, speaking from my perspective I'm extremely thankful for all the women throughout the entire history of the USA who have faithfully stood up for women's rights so that today's women have much more equality than our forebears. What I support and admire most about this march is the evidence of many who speak and act as role models of women (and others who support their cause) who are committed to obeying our nation's constitutional laws and the moral laws of the God "in whom we trust" and who peacefully speak and act "with liberty and justice for all." What greatly saddens me and seems to work against continuing progress in women's rights issues is the disrespect for women's rights that are different from one's own rights; the militant and even hateful speech and behavior on the part of many who were photographed and interviewed by the media--especially those women who are fortunate enough to be accepted as leaders and excellent examples of female roles for our offspring to aspire to follow. As long as I live and breathe I intend to pray that God will guide and protect all who faithfully defend the inalienable rights our Constitution guarantees.

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  51. Thank you for writing this! It is so well written and explains it all perfectly. My husband got tears in his eyes as I read it to him. I have shared it and will continue to share it any chance I get! I am 67 years young with 7 grandchildren. We have to support our rights!

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  52. I wonder if the organized global march could have happened at a better time rather than the US inauguration. Then maybe the message would have not been so muddied and divisive. It appears to have caused more friction than education.

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  53. The March was pulled together in 73 days and the idea came before the organisation. In my mind a better time would have been before the election date! However given what has happened in the first week of the new Presidency, the March was timed perfectly as a call to action. Internally there has been some division as people work through long held resentment and process their issues with intersectional feminism for eg. These differences are being worked through, they cannot be ignored, it just takes a little while to arrive at the same place. Any other divisions you see are being deliberately nurtured by those that benefit from lack of unity. If you are a part of the march there is a great deal of education taking place. All you have to do is jump on in. How it appears to others really doesn't matter so much, those people don't matter. What matters is that there is work being done.

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