Women's March... We Are Just Getting Started!!

Today, January 21st, 2017, was the day of the March heard around the world. Literally. The Women's March was done in all 7 continents. It was done from Australia to South Africa, Kenya to Thailand, and on and on and on!!! The Women's March website has the number of marches world wide at 673. There were 673 marches equaling over 4.6 million marchers. 673- holy shit!!! That is amazing, and world breaking!

This wasn't about just marching, as some of the marches were so packed there was no movement, which happened in Washington D.C. This was about a bigger picture. This was about solidarity, giving a voice, giving hope, building community, and giving notice to Trump and Congress about what will not tolerated.

There were signs for women's rights, abortion, climate change, equality, Black Lives Matters, LGBT rights, and Trans rights. There were signs wondering why we were still protesting this shit, wondering how Trump got elected, and signs for a call to action for the future.

I felt a fierceness in the air that seemed to permeate not only DC, but all of the world. It truly amazed me and made me so damn happy to see the marches all over the world. It made me happy to see men holding signs supporting women, parent's bringing their kids to be involved and see the importance of women's rights, teenagers walking and engaging in the march, people in wheelchairs, and diversity left and right.

But as great as the Women's Marches were, DO NOT GET COMPLACENT! DO NOT. I hope you do not think that the marches are the end of it and we can just put away our protest signs and think our voice was heard. We cannot. We have to keep protesting, keep showing up, keep making our voice be heard. We have to keep making it known that laws politicians are trying to implement will not be tolerated. Laws that do not support equality will not be supported.

Now is not the time to focus on the 2020 presidential election. It shouldn't be on our radar. What needs to be on our radar are the local/state and midterm elections in 2018. Those elections are now more crucial than ever as winning them will assist us in getting control of our cities, schools, counties, states and Congress. Winning the local/state elections affect us the most because whoever wins those elections influences laws and policies that immediately and directly affect us. Winning seats in Congress allows us to have an impact on national policies. We cannot keep protesting policies if we do not get out to vote the politicians making the policies out of office. It becomes the cycle of insanity.

It is not the time to rest or think our job is done. A protest doesn't end the job, it starts it, and we have a long road a head of us, but if we chip away we can do amazing things. Let's take control in 2018!!!!

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