Posted by When I read the mission statement of The Women’s March on Washington , it really hit home to me.
“The march is open to everyone who stands for human rights, civil liberties, tolerance of diversity, and compassion for our shared humanity. We stand together in solidarity for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families — recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country. OUR MISSION In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us. We support the advocacy and resistance movements that reflect our multiple and intersecting identities. We call on all defenders of human rights to join us. This march is the first step towards unifying our communities, grounded in new relationships, to create change from the grassroots level up. We work peacefully while recognizing there is no true peace without justice and equity for all.”
Why did I march? Having lived through the 1960’s where women were unable to get a credit card in their own name, attend an ivy league college, or serve on a jury in all fifty states, I am quite concerned about human rights. The new Trump administration made me fear that women’s rights and minority rights were in jeopardy of being compromised. I needed my voice to be heard that this was not okay with me. By marching, I was joining a movement whose goal it was to get their voices heard.
Why did I march? I consider myself a big fan of the environment. In our home, we recycle everything that we can, we have an electric car, solar panels, and we support environmental causes. To hear that our new President believes global warming is a natural occurrence and not a problem, that he supports offshore oil drilling, hydraulic fracking, and he views regulations on pollution as an obstacle to the success of business and jobs in America is sad for me to hear. I needed my voice to be heard.
Why did I march? I marched because I love diversity. I believe it’s diversity that makes America great. I believe we need all colors, shapes, sizes, types, and views. (Yes, even those that disagree with me.)
Why did I march? I marched because I have a daughter who has been taught that women’s rights are human rights. She has been taught that a woman has a right to make decisions about her own body. She has been taught that a women deserves an equal salary to a male in the same position. She has been taught that it is an obligation to speak up, show up, and stand up for those that cannot do so for themselves. She has been taught that social equality, racial equality, and political equality are the goals, and anything else is unacceptable. She has been taught to speak truth to power, to use her courage, strength, love and hope to effect the change she wants to see.
So, we marched. And so it began.
On January 21st 2017, I marched with my daughter in support of the Women’s March on Washington. We were in a “Sister March” in downtown Los Angeles, one of 673 marches around the world held simultaneously to unite with the original march held in Washington D.C. Almost 5 million marchers participated across the globe. My daughter and I were two of 750,000 marchers in Los Angeles.
Proud of you!