In the house I grew up in, "liberal" is a dirty word.
It's right up there with "vegetarian" and "welfare" which I understand. It's wrong and feels dirty to them. I understand it, so I generally try to keep my mouth shut at family gatherings. My hope in is that my words unify, not divide.
On January 21st of this year, millions of men, women, and other non-binary people marched in what many call a temper tantrum triggered by the recent election of President Donald Trump.
I want to ask anyone who thinks this is some kind of cantankerous, participation trophy-fueled, politically correct tantrum: What do you think people said in the 1950's and the 1960's when the civil rights movement was taking place? Even better, what do you think the British said during the Boston Tea Party? Because like it or not, that was a protest. They destroyed property, shouted, and made a huge commotion so that they would be heard. I imagine someone was sitting in their home chiding the youth for their wastefulness and tempestuous actions.
My generation is classified by what earlier generations regard as entitlement. We are entitled because whether or not we won, we received a trophy. (I never got a participation trophy and I played sports throughout my childhood. I feel as though I missed out, honestly.) We are entitled because in our lifetime technology changed and progressed so rapidly, that we became pioneers of social media. In turn, we became obsessed with ourselves. (According to some.) If I've learned anything in my short 20 years of life, it is this: rarely is something as great or as terrible as we want it to be. Is it possible for millenials to look beyond themselves and see something that some people in older generations may not be able to see?
The short answer is yes. Being that we are so connected through social media, we as a generation are able to see the struggles of many in a way unlike ever before. We see the struggle of women, men, children, and non-binary individuals across the globe and are so moved that we feel the need to fight for them. The Women's March was not just about American women and it wasn't just about President Trump or the deplorable things he said about women. It is for women, men, POC, and LGBTQ+ who understand that America has really only been "great" if you were a straight, white, male.
I march because women's reproductive health is still largely legislated by men. I march because some of my favorite people are gay, POC, or trans and have felt fear due to the notion of a Trump presidency. I march so that they know that I am with them.
So call me a snowflake. Tell me I'm whining. Just know, I march for your rights too.
