Pulse of the Peninsula: Women’s march points way forward

Karen Rubin

It’s already begun.

The unraveling of eight years of progress under Obama. Contrast their first actions: Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Act so women can have a legal remedy for pay equity.

Trump signed  an executive orders to dismantle Obamacare and to withhold funding from any NGO anywhere that funds abortions.

Donald Trump doesn’t care that more than twice as many people came out to protest his illegitimately gained presidency, his morals and his agenda than came out to support his inauguration (I was at both. I saw despite the lies that Trump is spewing.)

His warped ego will probably take it as a matter of pride that 750,000 people descended on Washington while millions more filled out gargantuan protests in NYC (400,000), LA, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis — indeed, all across the U.S. — plus cities in 50 countries including Paris, London, Sydney.

They came out to declare: Women’s Rights are Human Rights, women are not chattel, a mere vessel (vassal) to harbor an embryo. And so women and their men and children were standing up for reproductive rights, access to health care, gun safety, climate action, immigration reform, criminal justice, pay equity, public education, voting rights, campaign finance  — all those things that together constitute “women’s issues.”

Economic, climate, criminal, social and political justice, national security and peace in the world are all “women’s issues” as much as “human issues.”

In fact, this was the single largest political demonstration day of protest in US history and most certainly the largest outpouring of opposition at the opening of a new administration.

And yet, Trump managed to turn a deaf ear to the roars from the Women’s March that literally shook buildings with its force.

In his first 100 days, what Trump vows to do would undo the progress of 100 years and in his first days, he is making good.

But here it is: Trump managed to resurrect a militant feminism that, frankly, was dormant during the election campaign.

Women of all ages, races and creeds, and men and children, out in solidarity. I saw a man carrying a sign saying “I can’t believe we’re still fighting for this”.

Now what will those who marched do?

Will that energy and activism be sustained against the forces of disillusionment, frustration, paralyzing despair and apathy?

I think they will return empowered, invigorated with a mission, with a voice, a language to articulate grievances and a clarity of purpose.

Indeed, the Women’s March organizers are posting 10 action items for the first 100 Days at womensmarch.com.

Donald Trump may think he can ignore them, but Congressmen know. Senators know. State legislators know. And they should be quaking in the reverberation of the marchers. And that’s where the focus has to be.

This is Day 1 of the 2017 campaign to take back state offices.

This is Day One to take back the House and/or the Senate in 2018.

Because taking just one house would cut Trump’s Presidency to two years instead of four.

That is, if he isn’t impeached first for his corrupt business practices and likely collusion with Russia (not likely with a Republican Congress who clearly don’t care about actual illegalities like blatant violations of emoluments clause of Constitution).

He is more likely to be removed by a military coup, when he orders bombing civilians, repopulating Guantanamo with prisoners snatched up with bounties, reopening black sites in order to torture, or, as he told the CIA, getting a second chance at taking Iraq’s oil because, you know, he learned as a boy “to the victor belong the spoils.”

Individually, we feel powerless, but collectively we have power.

And it starts with pressing our village and city mayors, town and county supervisors, state representatives, governors and Congressmen need to be bold — like the San Francisco and New York mayors vowing to repulse Trump’s attack on sanctuary cities, governors like Cuomo standing up for a climate action agenda and protecting women’s reproductive rights; generals vowing to reject an order to bomb civilians or torture terror suspects.

It’s newspapers being willing to lose privileged “access” and risking lawsuits to publish investigations. It’s government workers willing to be whistleblowers.

If it is too paralyzing because of all the issues that are infuriating to your core, pick one or two to focus on, keep active and aware of what Trump and his collaborators in Congress and the Cabinet are doing.

Write, call, visit, rally at representatives’ offices. Speak up to family, friends and neighbors.

Go to town halls and civic meetings.

Support key organizations — give what you can — because they will need money to lobby, sue, organize protests and petition campaigns, can offer language for legislation and expose facts about the impacts of overturning regulations so that corporations can pollute the air and water; repealing the Affordable Care Act; rolling back climate action. (Caveat: Organizations can’t just seize on the latest outrage to fundraise without actually doing something.)

Some worthy organizations that have outlined effective strategies to beat back the forces of darkness include National Resources Defense Council (NRDC.org), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF.org), League of Conservation Voters (LCV.org), MoveOn.org, EmilysList.org, WomensMarch.com, PlannedParenthood.org, Public Citizen (citizen.org), as well as local grassroots organizations like Reach Out America (reachout-america.com) and the Queens/Nassau chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby (citizensclimatelobby.org).

Share this Article