Women's March 2017

Today millions of women and men all over the world peacefully protested, creating a sense of hope and peace in a tumultuous time. My boys and I joined the march in our state capital along with thousands of other Mainers. While I often think just standing outside and protesting something is not necessarily effective and can even cause the people you are protesting to scoff and laugh at you...not change their mind; today felt different. So many of us have been feeling sorrow, fear and rage as of late with the change of presidency that it was comforting and powerful to all gather together. It helped us to know that even though it feels like the world is crumbling around us, that we are not alone, and we are going to fight to save it.

Yes, the problems that we are facing now have always existed. President Trump did not create them, they exist among us, and that's terrifying. They would still be there if Hillary had been elected. There would still be corruption and despair. But to this degree?

There has been such a divide among our citizens with the election of Trump. Many Republicans that I know have been either laughing at the democrats "crying because they lost", or have been irritated that democrats are "not even giving him a chance to be president before hating him". Here's the thing:

I am not crying because we lost. I am crying because we have reached a point in climate change that is incredibly dangerous. Now is a time for drastic changes and a complete and swift change over to renewable energy and resources. One of Trumps priories already in his one day of presidency is deny climate change, promise to "make America great again" by increasing the capacity of the coal and oil industries, and back out of the peace treaty that we made with the rest of the world to try and heal the earth before its too late (if it's not already). We are crying because rather than being a country that encourages innovation and can pave the way with brilliant green energy technology, our president is promoting old, destructive habits that have only destroyed lives and our planet claiming that it will bring jobs to millions of Americans. Well so can green energy. Better jobs. Better futures. Many Christians support trump but Pope Francis himself has called for urgent action to stop climate change and proposed that caring for the environment be added to traditional Christian works of mercy such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick.

I am not crying because we lost. I am crying because our friends of color are terrified to walk down the street because they are regularly harassed by white people who think it is their right to treat them like trash. That our friends feel threatened, angry, and terrified enough that the are making plans to move abroad for hopes of a better life. We are crying because our communities that we have worked so hard to build are crumbling from hate and inequality. Some people deny that this is happening, but pop outside your bubble and talk to people. It's reality, and its awful.

I am not crying because we lost, we are crying for our LGBT friends who are terrified that their rights to a happy, normal life is being threatened to be taken away. Donald Trump has been a consistent opponent of marriage equality.

I am not crying because we lost. We are crying because people think guns should be allowed in schools. That's its too much to ask that people have to take tests and acquire licenses to carry weapons whose only purpose is to kill. We are crying for the education system that is already poorly funded and now will be even less so. We are crying for the thousands of Americans that will lose their health care with no alternative on the horizon. We are crying because our government is corrupt and money rules all.

Mostly am crying because so many people think these things are okay. And are laughing at our tears. And so we march. Because there is strength in unity. And it gives us hope. And for those of us who have not been very involved up until now, it hopefully empowered us to be more involved. We need to be!

I read an article today that I think articulates my thoughts well (Seth Millstein 1/19/2017):

If you're an opponent of Donald Trump, you've probably heard one of his supporters insist that "he's your president now, so you have to accept him," or some variant thereof. The implication here is that, because Trump cleared 270 votes in the electoral college, Americans must refrain from criticizing him and root for his unabated success instead. But that is nonsense — accepting that Trump is our president now does not mean what a lot of Trump supporters think it means.

I vehemently oppose Trump and his agenda — but I accept that he's my president now. To be more specific, I accept the fact that Trump has completed the legal process necessary to serve as president of the United States. It is factually correct to say that, as of Jan. 20, he is America's 45th president, and I accept this.

But that's all I accept. The rest, I reject.

I reject the implication that just because Trump is president, we aren't allowed to condemn him anymore. To the contrary: We most definitely are allowed to condemn him, whenever we like and as strongly as we see fit. One of the nice things about living in a democracy is that we're allowed to freely criticize our government. This is the constitutional right of every American, and I'll exercise it under any president with whom I disagree. I suspect I'll be exercising it frequently under the Trump regime.

Here's what you can say to people who tell you that you have to accept Donald Trump: I accept that Trump is the president. But I condemn his unabashed bigotry, and his hateful comments about women, Muslims, Hispanics, and other marginalized groups. I condemn him for mocking Serge Kovaleski, and for welcoming white supremacists into his administration. I condemn him for running a campaign based on division and for lying to the American people. I condemn his inability to admit personal fault. I condemn his lack of intellectual curiosity and his disrespect for American norms and values. On the most fundamental level, I condemn Trump as a human being.

Furthermore, accepting that Trump is president doesn't mean you have to root for his success. Sure, I'd love for Trump to make the country a better place. The thing is, Trump's concept of "better" is diametrically opposed to mine. I don't want him to succeed in implementing a ban on Muslims entering to the country. I don't want him to succeed in building a wall on the Mexican border or in repealing Obamacare. I want him to fail at these goals, because I think the country will be a worse place to live if he succeeds at them.

Lastly, while I accept Trump's presidency, he certainly doesn't represent me. Sure, in a strictly diplomatic sense, he is the United States' chief ambassador and representative. But his ideological and moral views are the opposite of mine, and indeed of many Americans. That didn't change just because he won the popular vote in Florida and Wisconsin. Just as Kim Jong-un doesn't represent the many North Koreans who oppose his dictatorship, Trump doesn't represent the many Americans who oppose his presidency.

Still, I accept that Trump is the president. And I despise him, reject everything he stands for, wish he hadn't won and sincerely hope that he fails in implementing his policy proposals.

But I don't deny that he occupies the White House. And that might be the only common ground I find with Trump supporters over the next four years.

In the end, this march was not for democrats, republicans, or any party. This march was for women and those that support them. This march was for people who believe that it is NOT okay to "grab her by the pussy" without permission and who want to stand up for their right to be treated with respect and as equals to men. This march was to bring us hope for a better future.

And considering that people every major city in the world participated in this march today certainly made me feel hopeful.

Some articles written about today's marches:

Augusta March by the Portland Press Herald

Mainers marching by wcsh6

Women's March by the New York Times

Women's March by CNN

A March Around the Globe by LA Times

Don't let Anybody Tell You the Marches Didn't Matter

Defiant Voices by the New York Times