Why We Marched

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
― Theodore Roosevelt

Last Saturday, I marched. I wasn't the only one. Women's marches took place all over the globe. Boise's march alone drew over five thousand people, while hundreds of thousands marched on our nation's capital. You may have heard some scuttlebutt (#alternativefacts) about varying audience sizes that weekend.

Yet some people seem confused as to why the march took place. Some women say they feel safe and confident, that their human rights are in tact.

I also saw a meme written in classy, Christian taste that read, "Donald Trump got more fat women walking in one day than Michelle Obama did in eight years."

I know, I know. You voted for Trump because you hate political correctness. That's why it's hilarious now to fat shame people, specifically, women. (It is NOT hilarious, by the way.) Go for it! (No, DON'T.)

I do want to address the confusion, especially from my fellow females. We're going to need each other.

As a woman, I don’t feel secure. We have a new POTUS who mocked people with disabilities and bragged about committing sexual assault, which (whether you want to admit it or not) promotes rape culture. And he still got elected.

Harsh language, but hey, he is the president!

This president also retweeted white supremacists and was endorsed by KKK and Neo-Nazi (ahem . . . alt-right) leaders. Many of my refugee and LGBTQ friends and students are scared for their future.

You may not believe me, but I did listen to my Trump-voting friends as they voiced their fears about their disappearing jobs, their anxieties about illegal immigration, their perceived disenfranchisement, their disgust with what they viewed as a generation of millennials living off the government, the country's erosion of family values (translation: pro-life, Christian values). I didn't criticize, even though I didn't agree. I just listened.

I also listened while I was inadvertently (through social media) and not so inadvertently (directed at me specifically) called names and berated: you leftie liberal, waa-waa-waa, you think you have the right to say whatever you want, stop whining, you lost, get over it, move out of the country if you don't like it.

It was time to stand up for everyone's human rights. That is why I marched.

On my playlist:
The album, Battle Hymns, is a protest record for this political era. According to its website, "The album is available, pay what you want at www.quasiband.com with all proceeds divided equally between Planned Parenthood, The ACLU and 350.org." Boise's own Doug Martsch from Built to Spill has a song on it as well as some of my favorite female rockers, Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Mary Timony, Kathy Foster, and others.

I also asked my Facebook friends to share their reasons for marching. Here are some of the things they felt comfortable sharing. (May be edited for space.)

My husband, Dan:

I marched in solidarity with my wife. It makes no sense the women don't have equal pay. Women should be able to decide when and how to handle a pregnancy. Planned Parenthood needs support for all the work it does in areas other than the hot button political issue that always seems to come up. I believe our new president does not show respect to women publicly or privately. And our new president needs to know just because he won an election that not all of our nation agrees with his policies. This is why I marched.

My dad:

I did not go, but I supported it!

(The men in my life are awesome!)

John M:

Because we all should be treated equally, fairly and justly. And I don't have the ability to sit back and hope that someone else speaks out. I have to speak out and get involved; in so doing, I hope others will speak out and get involved, too. That's why I marched. Oh, plus I got to play in the band. :)

Jill C:

I went to the one here in Chico. I attended it with my youngest daughter and two student employees. I marched the day after the election with the same folks, and that night was a night of despair and anger (no rioting here though), but yesterday was so different. I went to show solidarity with my fellow concerned Americans. I went to stand up for abortion rights, women's rights, gay rights, trans care and rights, and for women of color. I went to show DT and congress that his rigged election didn't represent the masses and that we shouldn't be ignored. I went to listen to others and come away with less bias and more understanding. I went to feel better about the chances of me keeping my sanity over the next 4 years. I came home with a renewed sense of hope. I also came home with a feeling of belonging to my community.

Jan T:

I did not go with [my daughter to Washington D.C.] because the thought of sitting on a bus for fifteen hours, standing and marching for about seven hours, then another fifteen hours on a bus was too much for my older hip and sciatic nerve. What could I do Saturday that would be equivalent to marching? What I did and have been doing for the last year is growing a community garden and food forest for an area in Bloomington that is described as low income and a food desert. I feel that my actions are just as important and hopefully long lasting.

Sarah A:

I wanted to go so badly (but didn't have transportation into LA) . . . because we are living in very scary times right now that could completely change everything we know as it currently is. I just want to be a part of strong people (male and female) coming together to be a force against those who would see us suffer.

Teresa F:

I marched for the same reasons as Jill C (see her eloquent words above) but also to show my support and love for the refugees in Idaho. I teach refugee children, so I feel that I can speak a bit on their behalf. They, like the rest of us, deserve to live in a place where at the very least, their BASIC human needs can be met, they can be safe, and hopefully live with others with freedom and equality. If you are not sure that you agree, please picture yourself in their situation and try to do everything you can to protect your children. How can anyone take that away from them? We need to be willing to share this wonderful WORLD.

Josh R:

We took the boys and wanted to help them understand that people out there don't have the same rights as others. Not just in our country and not just women. We wanted to show them how they can get and must stay involved so the oppressed can have the same rights as their oppressors. We want them to have a better understanding than we did as to what is really happening. We marched for those that were not allowed to march, those that were unable, and those that were just too scared.

Another article to check out:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article128942124.html

“Believing in equality just means you’re not a dick. For me, that’s enough.” 
― Michael Che on SNL Weekend Update

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