I have been staring at my computer for hours trying to effectively articulate my passion about the Women's March that took place all around the world today. It is difficult for me to put into words just how proud I am to be a #NastyWoman. As one of my very wise Facebook friends stated: "This isn't 'liberals pouting;' this is a WORLD refusing to be broken, tyrannized, silenced and set back."
Giving the critics of this profound, historic event the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they are simply unaware of what the Women's March platform is about. The platform calls for a wide variety of reforms that are not radical. It is in support of paid family leave. It is in support of anti-discrimination protections for LGBT+ Americans. It is in support of access to affordable reproductive health care. It is in support of a living minimum wage. It is in support of an effective path to citizenship for immigrants. Last but not least, it is in support of the protection of the environment. How one can actually oppose these platforms blows my mind and makes my heart ache.
On January 21, 2017, millions marched into history with over 600 protests across the world. The crowd in Washington on the day of Trump's inauguration paled in comparison to the crowd at the Women's March on Washington. The Washington Metro system experienced about 275,000 riders by 11 a.m. on the day of the march. However, on the day of the inauguration, the Washington Metro system experienced only 193,000 riders by 11 a.m (statistics taken from the Washington Post). Don't get me wrong -- Trump is now our president and because of this, we should respect him. But it cannot go unnoticed that he does not respect certain Americans. Maybe this is a product of his raising or maybe this is a product of the fact that he is an elite and privileged white male. Whatever the reason for Trump's disrespect towards women, it is unacceptable.
Many celebrities and political figures spoke at the Women's March on Washington and they articulated perfectly just how important these platforms are. Women have been fighting for hundreds of years for equality and we have come a long way; but, unfortunately, the fight is not over. The great thing about this nation is that the power is in the people. Together and united we will stand for what we believe in efforts to change the social climate of the world. To my readers: I urge you to educate yourself on this movement. Research the platforms and watch videos from this epic event. To the critics: you are entitled to your opinion, but I urge you to put yourself in another's shoes and try looking at the world through someone else's eyes. To the supporters: welcome to the revolution.
