Women March to Protect and Improve

Watch Women March

They will change the world

The largest worldwide demonstration in history took place a week ago. Women, multiple millions strong, organized and marched with their allies from across the gender spectrum on every continent to tell the world that the new era of authoritarian populism is unacceptable and will be resisted at every turn.

Reminiscent of marches for civil rights, women's' rights and demands for the end to the unjust war in Viet Nam in years gone by, this march clearly trumped Trump's feebly attended inaugural the day before and sent a message that women will not go back, not one step, to the male dominated days of the past.

Tone deaf Trump answered in a room full of old white males the next day by signing an Executive Order banning federal funding for any group any where on the planet that even offers information about abortion. This was followed by a press conference that declared war on journalists critical of Trump and his policies.

The battle is joined.

Women have stepped up and into the leadership of the new progressive movement. They have proclaimed enough of patriarchal patronage and greedy politics of convenience. We will gladly follow into a more empathetic, principled and practical movement that will work for true equality across the gender spectrum, respect for the inherent rights we all possess as human inhabitants of this planet to clean air and water, safe food, universal healthcare, universal suffrage and an end to violence as a path to conflict resolution.

The transition from marching to movement building will not be easy or smooth. But the path is clear and the goals are attainable as we focus on what we stand for, not merely rising up in opposition to what we do not like.

Watching the signage, listening to the speakers and seeing the colors of change evident in the marches, the unity of purpose was clear. We won't give up, we will be heard and we will protect what we have gained over the past eight years.

Trump's minions continue to play right into their own ultimate failure. Executive Orders may change certain policies, but they cannot create the "alternative" reality they so fervently desire. The early Orders, setting the stage for obliterating Obamacare, approving in principle the Keystone and DAPL pipelines, removing helpful information for veterans and LBGTQ Americans from the White House website, shutting down public comment White House phone lines, gagging staffers at agencies disfavored by the administration, building the wall, excluding some Muslim refugees and attacking journalists hell bent on holding Trump accountable all feed into public distrust of the new regime and help create whole new subset of people willing to rise up and resist.

It is not surprising that many of those who marched across the planet were first timers. Trump’s intolerance has created a whole new army of people who have reached the tipping point. They are now willing to put other parts of their lives on hold while they make calls to their members of congress and state legislators, sign up to work on local issues like saving public schools and local libraries, making sure people do not go hungry and have a place to sleep and stay warm, writing letters to the editor, attending town halls, voting and even running for public office.

As one who has been keeping the progressive fire burning for awhile in anticipation of the larger spark that gets people off their couches and away from their TVs, I am thrilled at the prospect of the new wave of enthusiasm the marches have engendered. I am proud of all of my sisters and their allies who stopped what they were doing to march and be seen with signs and tattoos and multi-colored hair while hugging each other with shared joy at their strength.

Yes, Trump has brought us a whole new world. He will temporarily
dismantle, disrupt and disarm some of what is good about America. It will not stand for long in the face of millions and millions of women and their allies who will be working tirelessly to challenge Trump's destruction and later to rebuild a better world from the ashes he leaves behind.

My favorite sign from the march proclaimed, "You know things are messed up when librarians march." So watch out Trump. I would not want to be the man who pissed off so many women.

Waring R. Fincke is a retired attorney and vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Washington County.