Why I Marched

Hi,

I have been asked by a number of people why I marched in the Women's march this weekend.  It's a fair question that deserves an answer.  Here it is.

First and foremost, I marched out of respect for the men and women who have fought for the freedoms I enjoy as a citizen of this great country.  I understand the privileges granted by the Constitution are guaranteed only to the extent that we are willing to fight for (and to keep) them. Those privileges include my right to protest if I feel those freedoms are being threatened.

I marched because freedoms are actively being threatened.  This is important to understand.  People aren't marching because they "are sad they lost the election".  No. The millions of people that demonstrated this weekend were actively combating a real threat against their statuses as citizens. Hostile rhetoric towards women, Muslims, blacks, Mexicans, the disabled, the press, etc. is being normalized as an assault on the "politically correct" by "whiny liberals", but by allowing those comments to go unchecked, it severely hinders the political capital those groups have fought hard for. Phrases like "Grab them by the pussies", "they're rapists", "Liars!", etc.   normalize an ethnocentric view of America and castigates entire demographics.  It is a direct call to popular tendencies that demonizes people in order to win loyalty from an uninformed public.  This is truth just as much as the climate is changing due to human interaction. Even though we can't see it, it is there and many of the people marching understand that.

I marched to make it clear that I will not be caught up in populism. Just because I am a white male does not mean I need to act on behalf of all white men.  When my fellow citizen is slighted, so am I.  My demographic has been given a lot of great privileges of which I am very grateful. It is my responsibility to recognize that advantage and help others or risk that privileged status being challenged by others through violence.

I marched because greater things can be achieved by those who work together.  It is clear to me (and to our president!) that our focus should be internal.  America needs to work together to address domestic issues before we can reasonably be stewards of democracy worldwide.  That is what we voted for and I tend to agree.  The march helped make clear where a lot of Americans stand on issues of social justice: We will not stand for the the de-legitimization of any of our fellow humans. And while global Isolationism may be a temporary solution for dealing with other countries, we will eventually need to find a way to work with other nations or suffer their malcontent.

I marched to be informed. It is difficult to understand the viewpoints of others without getting out and hearing from them.

I marched because I needed to be reminded that people are overwhelmingly good.  The warmth I received from the smiles of the peaceful protesters re-invigorated this conviction.

I marched because I wanted to support my wife. Not because she needed me to, but because she inspires me to be a good citizen.  She was marching with or without me.

I marched because the future is female - and I'm OK with that.  I'm a man. I have a tendency towards machismo and can vividly recall times where I was overly aggressive when challenged in public.  In the age of easily accessible weaponry, perhaps it's OK that a man doesn't have The Button to press if his ego is bruised. With dwindling resources on this planet, it's clear to me that humans will need to shift from a "get off my lawn" attitude to inviting our diverse neighbors over for dinner.

I marched because I took history class. And while I may have only garnered a B letter grade, it doesn't take an A-student to see the threat of authoritarianism as real. We have a charismatic leader who demands loyalty and threatens "law and order" if it is not given. There is an assault on truth with retribution promised to those who don't see things his way.  This has happened before and while authoritarianism doesn't necessarily equate to Nazi-ism and fascism, it can easily slip a similar way unintentionally.  For this we must stay vigilant.

I marched because I have friends who don't understand why a man is marching in a women's march. If this post hasn't helped clear that up, I'm afraid I won't be to able explain this further without talking in person. I am happy to have conversations with friends and always welcome alternative points of view.

Finally, I marched because I am in awe that the Constitution continues to govern with relative effectiveness.  Sure there are laws on the books that could use revision, but I am astonished by the respect these living documents command.  I feel responsibility to help ensure that our government continues to be effective and I am proud to be an active participant in this great social experiment.

Why did(n't) you march?

--------------------------------------------------------