Women’s March on Washington: Greg’s Experience

 

The call has gone out:

SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!

A line in the sand has been drawn, and it’s been drawn around the world.  On Saturday, protest marches occurred on every continent, including Antarctica.  What began as a small group of women issuing a call on Facebook became a call that women around the world answered.  People of every background, gender identity, religious affiliation, creed, and nation showed up in 673 events, with an estimated 4,814,000 participants worldwide according to London’s newspaper, The Daily Telegraph.

Rachel and I had the privilege of marching with those millions.

Our day started early.  I woke Rachel up with coffee and breakfast and just-in-cases, trying to be prepared just in case things went sideways.  I would soon find out that my worrying was for naught.

As we got on I-95, we chatted while tons of buses heading north rode in the lanes next to us.  As we got off at the exit for the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station, we immediately saw droves of people—many wearing pink hats—heading from the mall parking lot towards the Metro.  We decided to press on to try and find parking at the station, and passed even more lines of pedestrians heading for the train.

Our car parked, we headed up the stairs and immediately stopped in our tracks.  In front of us was a wall of people.  Pink hats were everywhere, many held signs, and cheers would spontaneously erupt from the crowd as we were corralled towards the gates.  Despite the crowds, our spirits lifted.

Positivity was everywhere in an almost overwhelming sense of personalness and solidarity.  It’s a rare occasion that in a large crowd, hundreds of people strike up conversations with each other that don’t begin and then abruptly end with, “Excuse me,” or “Sorry for bumping into you.”  But sustained, deep conversations on topics affecting people’s lives and well being?  No way.

Except on Saturday.  On Saturday, The reply came:

THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!

Over and over, person after person we saw and talked to were more than happy to have that conversation.  We were all there specifically to have that conversation.  We were there because it needs to happen.

It happened in the half-mile long line to get into the metro station.

It happened on the platform during the wait for the train.

It happened pressed tightly against 150 other people crammed in the metro car for an hour and a half.

And most importantly, it happened in the streets of Washington, D.C., and cities across the world.

People showed up to talk about all manners of issues we are facing as a nation.  I think Senator Kamala Harris put it best in her speech on Saturday:

“We are collectively looking in the mirror and asking this question: Who are we?  And ladies and gentlemen, I believe the answer is a good one.  Imperfect though we may be, I believe we are a great country.  And part of what makes us great is we are a nation that was founded on certain ideals; founded on the ideals that were spoken in 1776, that we are all and should be treated as equals…”

In her speech, Senator Harris remarked that women everywhere and from every background understand that issues ranging from jobs and the economy, to climate change, to immigration reform, to criminal justice reform, to Black Lives Matter, to healthcare, and beyond, are all women’s issues.

We marched down Independence Avenue and over to the Ellipse, up through the streets to the White House; and we did it together.

Near the end of the march, I saw a shirt a man was wearing: “Fear Less.  Engage More.”  1 in 100 Americans marched on Saturday.  If you are that 1, reach out to the other 99 around you and start your conversation.

The call has gone out for everyone to stand up for what they believe in.  To make America and the world everything it can and should be, for everyone in it.  To show that you stand against sexism, against racism, against religious discrimination, against discrimination against the LGBTQ community, and against destroying our home.

The call has gone out:

SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!

THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!