As someone who does not like to discuss politics, it takes a lot for me to voice what I am truly irked by. On Saturday, January 21st, humans came together across the globe to support American women and the rights they believe they have. After the shocking election of Donald Trump, many Americans who are a part of a multitude of groups including women, LGBTQ+, people of color, and non-Christians have felt a sense of endangerment for their well being. In response, protests sprung up across America on and after election day, including a petition for the electoral college to not vote Trump. Plans also began for a Women's March on Washington the day after the inauguration. As I scrolled through various social media platforms on the 21st, I watched live feeds of protests not only in America, but in many other countries. I could not help but read the comments on these videos, and I was truly surprised by the amount of negativity from so many of my fellow Americans. The two most popular comments I saw were along the lines of "what are they even protesting about?" and "they aren't getting anything done." So, I'd like to take the time to educate those who had no knowledge of what the protests were about, as well as explain why we as Americans should not be so upset about protests.
Admittedly, I did not have a lot of information about the marches, partially due to currently living in the United Kingdom, but after a quick google search I was able to learn a lot about the march. The aim of the march was to bring awareness to the rights many women feel they have. You may be asking yourself what rights do women have that men don't? Well, it's not exactly about women vs. men. One of the biggest "rights" women fear losing is the right to make proactive decisions about their bodies. Women face health matters that men do not, and vice versa. Many women are upset about the threatened defunding of Planned Parenthood, an organization providing many services to women for both their sexual health and overall well being. The march aimed to serve as a voice for millions of Americans to communicate with our new government the grievances that have been felt in communities across the country. The march was also not limited to only women, men, children and all humans were encouraged to join in resistance to some shocking rhetoric that was used in our past election season and in resistance to the actions of individuals that do not sit right with many Americans. So, in short, the march was about voicing American opinions.
The definition of protest is "a statement or action expressing disapproval of objection to something." So, for those saying "they aren't getting anything done" sometimes the point is not to have something accomplished right away, but to start a conversation and raise awareness. This protest serves as a message that American citizens are discontent with the way the government handles issues that directly affect the public. While in an ideal world changes would happen immediately, we know from history that change takes time. These people voicing their opinions in a public setting expresses their desire for change, just as Americans have done since the beginning of our country. If you are on the opposing side, consider a value or right you hold and consider that right being threatened. Would you stand up and fight for what you believe in? Or would you sit back just as you are telling your counterparts to do.
No matter what, there will always be people on both sides of any argument. Everyone has an opinion and a right to share their opinion. However, this does not mean we should beat each other down. Unfortunately, not everyone can have their way, but we can have compassion. At the end of the day, we are all human beings and we should all support each other. If everyone takes a step back and considers the other side, we can have much more civil conversations and work towards a better country for us all. This does not mean you have to give up your values. This also means there should be voices from both sides arguing in a productive manner. Extremist voices are the ones heard most often, but extremists do not speak for everyone. I encourage you all to educate yourselves on a matter before you run to voice an opinion that does not have any backing. I encourage all Americans to unite and respect each other.
If you want more information regarding the Women's March, visit https://www.womensmarch.com/.
