Why Bother Marching?

“Thirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means that women’s voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives”

-Excerpt from the front cover of Sheryl Sandberg’s 2013 best seller “Lean In”

On Friday January 20, 2017 a new president was sworn into office and the shudders of women everywhere could be felt throughout the nation. A man who many would not trust locked in a room with their daughters assumed the office of president. I hate to use the word “creep” but….what a creep.

We’ve all met the guy. Maybe not this specific one, but others like him. The one whose dirty comments and sideways glares raise the hair on your arms. The one who tries to follow you home at night. The one who advances with no permission to advance. You know the guy. Only this one is filthy rich so he gets away with it.

Our new president gets away with a lot. He ran his campaign on hatred and division. His comments and actions concerning womens’ appearance, abilities, and the capacity to assault any woman he chooses due to his status disgusted me to my core.

Judging by the comparing turnouts of the Women’s March Vs. the inauguration, I’d say many people felt the same.

Here’s the thing, America is great because we are a diverse nation of people with many talents and abilities. We work together to create an amazing world of technology, entertainment, scholars and more. Any person who disagrees with this to the extent that they speak of others as objects of burden or otherwise is simply not fit to be the leader of this great nation.

Which is why there was a need for a women’s march. Women and men all across the world gathered together to display a movement of solidarity in combating the rhetoric of this man and his cabinet.

There is a strong message to send.

Women are not objects. We are not yours for the grabbing. We are smart, we are capable and we are powerful. We marched to show you just how powerful we are.

But what we need to remember is this, the issues are not new.

What is new is having someone in such high power who blatantly contributes to the marginalization of women AND minorities through their actions and words.

We are not going to let that pass and we are not going to be silent.

There is much to be done in the battle for equality. The work was never over, so thank you to those just joining. Perhaps we have our dear president to thank for that.

For those of you who haven’t joined yet, that’s ok. I’m still going to love you and care for you just the same.

Check out more pictures from the Women's March in LA below