We March

I read today that John Lewis recalled Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. saying, “there is no noise as powerful as the sound of the marching feet of a determined people.” Having attended the San Diego Women’s March today – along with approximately 39,999 other people – I can say that feels right to me.

Michaela and I woke up this morning and made signs for the march, which was about affirming women’s rights (vs. protesting the new president). Michaela chose to focus her sign on peace; mine was a series of hashtags.

I put on my “A woman’s place is in the House and the Senate” shirt and she put on her peace sign shirt and we were off to meet a friend and her daughters for the march.

The weather was cold and there was about a 25% chance of rain (it did, in fact, rain off and on throughout the morning). There were a lot of speeches – too many speeches, I’d say – and while that was happening, the space around us filled with people. Women, men, children of all colors. Families. Friends. Strangers who became friends. Women were going around giving out free donuts, a danza Azteca (Aztec dance) group shimmied through the crowd, people banged drums and shook tambourines. We all sang the national anthem, which gave me goosebumps. The signs were amazing– serious ones and funny ones, wordless ones and ones covered in writing, Trump-focused and otherwise.

Some of my favorites:

• Now you have pissed off grandma (held by an older woman wearing a neon pink bouffant wig)
• Babies against bigots (taped to the back of a Kelty)
• Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition
• The GOP: Creating government small enough to fit inside your vagina
• Patriotism is standing by your country, not your president (a Teddy Roosevelt quote)
• Surviving this bullshit since 1492 (these words accompanied a picture of a clenched fist, held by a person of indigenous descent)
• Our rights aren’t up for grabs, and neither are we
• Don’t tread on me (along with a picture of a uterus)
• We need feminism because people still ask what the victim was wearing
• We are only going to get browner and queerer and witchier and louder and stronger and prouder

It felt amazing to see so many people come out. The feeling in the air was electric. I hope people will remain engaged and be vigilant in standing up for the things they believe in as the new administrations makes laws and policies. I certainly plan to.

#HopefulButPragmatic