Thoughts on the Women’s March of 2017
America went through a very important negotiation process yesterday. It wasn’t merely a battle for our right to dissent or our rights as women. It was certainly those things, but it was also a day to set a boundary around what was “normal” and divide that away from what is aberrant in this country.
Over 4 million of us decided we needed to assert what was conventional, honest, and sensible. This was not some theoretical hand wringing on social media. It was actual women, men and children - together, in our civic centers, appearing together in an attempt to reset the bar.
And we hit that goal squarely. From the accounts I’m reading the day was mellow, united and clear. It certainly felt this way yesterday here in Los Angeles. There was no big issue to deliberate, like going to war. No object of hate to rally against and excoriate like the RNC in New York. Sure, there was an honest critique taking place about a well of darkness within one of our parties. But the impulse to rail against was far outweighed by a spontaneous expression of what was right, what was good for our families, what was honest and fair. The proactive message public demonstration fell together like a flock of birds. The kind you see sometimes careening in patterns of cooperation and dynamic beauty.
The thing that came over me again and again yesterday, was just how easy the whole day was. How magically simple and convenient it was to set aside half a Saturday and gather together to be heard and seen.
What a refreshing break from the maneuvering and strategizing of the campaign. My god, what could be more intimidating than to realize the quality of your life and of those you love is being determined by a few megalomaniacs with a muddled world view, throwing hundreds of millions of dollars around in one Hail Mary ploy after another? How did anyone think things would turn out well?
The march yesterday brought our thoughts back to what we know to be true - that our country is filled with decent, kind and cooperative people who really care about their neighbors and will show up when needed.
How It’s Been
Like many, I have found myself spinning out a bit since November. So many “what ifs”. So much speculative panic brought into our households! And socially I’ve found things strained with many people I’ve enjoyed spending time with online.
A troubling pattern has emerged whereby some of us are accused of disloyalty, naivety or downright stupidity for actually believing in the system of checks and balances we have before us to rein in extremism in this country.
But I ask you: how can we not lean on these things? And to lean on them means not just assuming they will be there for us, but insisting they will. Conversely, when we decry the fragility and fraudulence of the system, we hasten that deplorable outcome.
Politics is mostly about power, but that power is understood and transferred through ideas. Just because ideas can be dynamic or elusive at times does not mean they are without value. Stating clearly what is normal and right is what protesting is all about. These displays of street theater plant the seeds in the minds of those who watch and participate. Seeds that get planted and evolve into conversations and calculations made by every one of us. It’s clear to many of us that a system is indeed in place and will respond if we state our ideas clearly and approachably enough.
Coming together to march and express ourselves as we did provided a glimmer of what we can do and what we need to make people feel safe. It was both a confirmation that we can stand up and react when the tactics of the Right go too far - and also a model to adhere to moving forward as millions of Americans reenter the political system over the next few years.
Meanwhile in Washington
I watched all five hours of the Women’s March in Washington D.C. The speeches there were mostly by the book and rather stale. Not that I didn’t agree with the findings and assumptions presented on stage. But I kept thinking to myself “Where are the Republican women? Where are the conservative women?” Surely a march to protect and empower women must include all women, not just those from the political left.
This was a real missed opportunity. Can you imagine the power of seeing an Olympia Snow, or Condoleezza Rice, or Lisa Murkowski, or a Carly Fiorina on stage? It would have been devastating. The threat to women and a determined cadre anti-Trumpism cannot only be the domain of fired up Democrats.
So this was a real loss. Perhaps I am being naive to think the leadership of the march were connected and savvy enough to pull that off. But it’s one of the takeaways for me this morning. We can and must do better at reaching across the aisle. Even a modest trans-party coalition would have huge power in the media and on the floor of the House and Senate. Let’s do better!
What’s Next
So we learned that coming together was relatively easy, that the message was built-in, approachable and ready to be heard. The arguments around Women’s issues are easy to make - and clear enough to understand.
As California Senator Kamala Harris said yesterday “Let’s talk about the economy, ‘cause that’s a women’s issue. Let’s talk about national security … healthcare … education … criminal justice reform … climate change. A good paying job is a women’s issue.”
Granted, there isn’t 100% overlap between the parties on these things, but there is some - and finding the points of agreement now is vital to having a productive and inclusive future for this country.
We can’t afford to hold up in our corners shouting at the rest of the room. I love and deeply respect my friends on the left and the Democratic party, but the crisis provided by Trump gives us the opportunity to substantially change the nature of our discourse - and provides the energy needed for us all to budge a bit and find some elements of common ground.
I look forward to attending other marches likes this in the future. We will surely need them all across this country. Count me in for the next invitation to come out on a Saturday and express what is real, true and normal in our lives.
But let’s try to open the lens a bit more next time.
