Women's Marches -
Word.
I'm not one to usually participate in such things. Crowds freak me out and I find most of the "shut down the streets" things to be counterproductive and self-righteous to the point of delusion - they seem to think that fighting the cops and busting shit up are the point, rather than byproducts of one small aspect of a much larger struggle.
But this event was so beautiful and inclusive with a focus on building unity and encouragement for the long haul. And, as has been alluded to, the sheer size of it was probably its most important feature, followed by the diversity, and its lack of violence or any meanspiritedness. Yeah, a lot of signs ripping Trump, but I didn't see any smug condescension toward the people who voted for him.*
I saw so many great signs, I need to come up with one for the next time this happens and I'm available to participate. Here are my possible ideas:
[ul]
[li]Down With This Sort Of Thing - Classic. Understated. Semi-obscure (by US standards) TV reference. I have the T-Shirt already[/li]
[li]Romani Ite Domum - Same idea. Perhaps with a cartoon of Trump as a Roman.[/li]
[li]Nazi Punks Fuck-Off - Some parents with small kids might complain and Nazi punks per se aren't really an issue any more, but an allusion to 80s punk seems apropos. [/li]
[li]Be Excellent To Each Other - My favorite motto. Some people have already used this for a sign though.[/li]
[li]Guns Are For Assholes - self-explanatory. Not very clever. Just something I believe.[/li]
[li]Don't Believe Everything You Think - An excellent summary of my pragmatist philosophy and disdain for so-called "common sense." I have it on a bumper sticker.[/li]
[li]something to stand up for the animals - Don't have anything clever yet[/li]
[li]...Something about hating militarism - Need to work on that, but it needs to be said.[/li]
[li]something something about how "Nationalism" is bullshit. Perhaps something from Orwell's thing on Patriotism vs Nationalism.[/li]
[li][/li]
[/ul]
*A pro-life group was salty that they were formally excluded (as an organization, not as individuals) but their argument really just supports the decision to exclude them. It's one thing if they want to say "hey, we disagree with you on this one thing, but want to support most of these causes." But they seem hell-bent on calling the pro-choice movement baby-killers. I do think it's possible to be pro-life and pro-women (at least make a consistent argument in that direction) and I know some people who sincerely are, but I've not seen any politicians or notable pro-life groups actually take this stand. It's clear from their actual actions and votes that they're not actually very interested in supporting children or mothers, but simply passing moral judgement on women and making their lives harder.
Etienne wrote: From a friend's husband on FB
I've struggled with mental illness for many years, and this past year has been a tough one. The day before yesterday was an especially difficult day. However seeing millions of people on the Women's Marches the following day rise up and be counted - the creativity, the power, the solidarity was a beautiful, hopeful, inspiring sight.
While there is much work to do, do not dismiss the importance of such events - not only for the sheer magnificence of this public display of resistance - but for those of us weighed down by the daily grim tidings that can sometimes overwhelm us into despair. Thank you to all the re-sisters for stepping up!
"Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine act of insurrection." - Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark
While there is much work to do, do not dismiss the importance of such events - not only for the sheer magnificence of this public display of resistance - but for those of us weighed down by the daily grim tidings that can sometimes overwhelm us into despair. Thank you to all the re-sisters for stepping up!
"Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine act of insurrection." - Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark
I'm not one to usually participate in such things. Crowds freak me out and I find most of the "shut down the streets" things to be counterproductive and self-righteous to the point of delusion - they seem to think that fighting the cops and busting shit up are the point, rather than byproducts of one small aspect of a much larger struggle.
But this event was so beautiful and inclusive with a focus on building unity and encouragement for the long haul. And, as has been alluded to, the sheer size of it was probably its most important feature, followed by the diversity, and its lack of violence or any meanspiritedness. Yeah, a lot of signs ripping Trump, but I didn't see any smug condescension toward the people who voted for him.*
I saw so many great signs, I need to come up with one for the next time this happens and I'm available to participate. Here are my possible ideas:
[ul]
[li]Down With This Sort Of Thing - Classic. Understated. Semi-obscure (by US standards) TV reference. I have the T-Shirt already[/li]
[li]Romani Ite Domum - Same idea. Perhaps with a cartoon of Trump as a Roman.[/li]
[li]Nazi Punks Fuck-Off - Some parents with small kids might complain and Nazi punks per se aren't really an issue any more, but an allusion to 80s punk seems apropos. [/li]
[li]Be Excellent To Each Other - My favorite motto. Some people have already used this for a sign though.[/li]
[li]Guns Are For Assholes - self-explanatory. Not very clever. Just something I believe.[/li]
[li]Don't Believe Everything You Think - An excellent summary of my pragmatist philosophy and disdain for so-called "common sense." I have it on a bumper sticker.[/li]
[li]something to stand up for the animals - Don't have anything clever yet[/li]
[li]...Something about hating militarism - Need to work on that, but it needs to be said.[/li]
[li]something something about how "Nationalism" is bullshit. Perhaps something from Orwell's thing on Patriotism vs Nationalism.[/li]
[li][/li]
[/ul]
*A pro-life group was salty that they were formally excluded (as an organization, not as individuals) but their argument really just supports the decision to exclude them. It's one thing if they want to say "hey, we disagree with you on this one thing, but want to support most of these causes." But they seem hell-bent on calling the pro-choice movement baby-killers. I do think it's possible to be pro-life and pro-women (at least make a consistent argument in that direction) and I know some people who sincerely are, but I've not seen any politicians or notable pro-life groups actually take this stand. It's clear from their actual actions and votes that they're not actually very interested in supporting children or mothers, but simply passing moral judgement on women and making their lives harder.
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