And so we marched.

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On Saturday, we marched.

Beaumont at the march. “Where are all the pussycats?”

Over 5,000 women, men, children (and dogs too).

We marched.

We marched for human rights, indigenous rights, minority rights, women’s rights, immigrants’ rights, LGBTQ2S rights. We marched for the right to march. The right to speak up, have a voice, give voice to what we believe in, what we want in our world, what we do not want more of in our world.

Discrimination. Misogyny. Brutality. Divisiveness. Unethical and unfair treatment of those who are vulnerable, living on the margins, struggling to find their way.

We marched so we could say, “We will be quiet no more. We will not give into fear, discrimination, misogyny, brutality, divisiveness, unethical behaviour and unfair treatment.”

We marched to tell the world we are ONE. One planet. One humanity. One human race. We are all together on this giant ball spinning through the universe, orbiting one sun, the light and heat and warmth of which we all share.

We marched to tell each other we care. We are connected. We are in this world, this life, together.

We marched to tell each other we must treat one another as equals, as human beings, as party to the same world upon which we walk, breathing the same air, needing the same oxygen, food, water, space.

We marched because we know that fear is not the answer. Action is. Giving voice is. Speaking out is.

We marched because we know…

Love is what matters and Love trumps hate. Just as love trumps fear and misogyny and divisiveness and exclusionary practices, and lies and bullying and all host of human ills.

And in our voices joined together all around the globe we said…

Human rights matter.

Women’s rights matter.

Immigrants’ rights matter.

LGBTQ2S rights matter.

All rights matter to us. We the people.

We marched because we chose to take action.

It was one action we could take that mattered to each of us who came out to support the millions of people walking with us on that day, at that time, all around the world. Because to each of us, each of us matters. Whether you were marching with us or were not, we all matter.

We are one humanity. And when we treat one another with dignity and respect, when we are inclusive and accepting of our differences, when we let go of the things that keep us fighting as ‘us versus them’, when we show each other kindness and love, the earth becomes a better place for every living thing on this planet .

15 thoughts on “And so we marched.”

  1. Elgie,

    I support ‘the movement’ and have no quarrel with the cause or the method.

    OK, maybe just one …

    In your laundry list, you left out something which I think ought to be fundamental to/of feminism.

    “Men’s rights matter”.

    Funny though, if men had a march advocating for their rights – we’d be laugher ’round the block.

    My view is we should rail against wrongness in its many forms – not just the ‘Trump-form’ … though that is clearly a good place to start …

    M

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Men’s rights do matter Mark — but you are not a minority — women have been treated as a minority, have not received, and still do not receive in many cases, the same pay for the same work, the same access to education. Men do not face the same discrimination, the same subjugation, so for me, your rights matter because you are fundamental to/of feminism. Your rights are human rights.

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      Reply ↓

      • YES, but! …. perhaps saved for another day because it will sound like ‘men whining’ and ‘women advocating’ which is not my intent

        life ain’t fair for men – in some of the same ways, and some different ones

        any man wanting to make his way in the world faces the same challenges – and he’s not expected to complain about ‘the way things are’ or ‘the way things have always been’ – and if he rails against traditional ways that men keep young bright peers down and practice class warfare in organizations and ‘old-boys’ clubs … he doesn’t get the charitable ‘hey, look at her go!’ encouragement – instead he is ostracized or shunned – and the women in his world will think less of him if he complains

        YES, it ain’t fair …. for many people

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Thank you for marching, Louise, and for writing about it. This is only the beginning. It’s going to be messy and difficult, but truth and goodness will win out in the end.

    Liked by 1 person

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