Regardless of what we did this past weekend, it was hard for most of us to miss news of the historic Women’s March that took place in Washington on Saturday, Jan. 21.
More than 500,000 people gathered for the grassroots Women’s March on Washington the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated president. They were joined by more than two million women around the world who organized satellite marches in cities across the world, including 4,500 demonstrators who gathered here in Indianapolis.
Some observers believe this event will stand in history along with other massive demonstrations for justice and human rights, such as the 1963 March on Washington, the Vietnam protests of the 1960s and ’70s and the 1995 Million Man March.
Organizers said the main purpose was to send “a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world, that women’s rights are human rights.”
Some people may say it would have been nice to have something like this during the presidential election, when it could have made a difference in the outcome. However, I guess the old adage “better late than never” can apply to this situation.
Various speakers gave remarks on issues such as health care, immigration reform, racial justice, the environment, religious freedom, LGBTQ rights and reforms for working people everywhere.
Many of us disagree on how to address those issues. This week’s column is not the place to debate them.
What I would like to bring our attention to, however, are the positive aspects of the march.
As a woman, it gave me great pride (and hope) to see hundreds of thousands of women from around the world standing up against the barriers that have made up the proverbial “glass ceiling.”
Finally, there is a strong movement of people from all walks of life calling for improvements in an era when we have a president who once boasted about harassment and misconduct around women.
An era when politicians stand by as women, on average, still get paid less than men for the same level of work. An era when our fellow Americans stand by as a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds in the United States. An era when the world stands by as terrorist groups such as ISIS commit genocide and widespread abuses against women who do not share their warped views.
Simply put, enough is enough.
Another encouraging aspect of the march was its diversity. It was awesome to witness a sea of Black, white, brown and yellow faces reminding the world that it places its very survival at stake if it does not take care of its women, the vessels of human life.
Diversity was even apparent in the leadership of the march, which included activists Tamika Mallory (African-American), Linda Sarsour (Arab-American), Bob Bland (caucasian) and Carmen Perez (Hispanic).
What is also awesome is that all of these individuals are in their 30s, which is more evidence that a younger generation of leaders is ready to step up to the plate in the fight for justice in the 21st century.
However, not everyone was encouraged by the fellowship of the march.
Once again, the sweet aroma of progress and unity was interrupted by the stench of political arrogance.
Once again, we saw Republican politicians embarrassing our state with misguided, divisive statements that seemed to trivialize the challenges that women of all races, cultures and backgrounds face every day.
State Sen. Jack Sandlin, who represents a district that includes the south side of Indianapolis and Greenwood, had a posting on his Facebook page with a photo of marchers holding signs and a brusque statement that said, “In one day Trump got more fat women out walking than Michelle Obama did in eight years,” referring to the former first lady’s effort to combat obesity.
Not long before that, State Rep. Jim Lucas, a Seymour Republican, found himself in hot water over a Facebook post he shared on Sunday that showed a police officer pepper spraying a woman in the face.
It was shown along with the words, “Participation trophies, now in liquid form.”
After a firestorm of criticism from organizations such as the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence and hundreds of people who burned up their Facebook pages with angry comments, Lucas and Sandlin posted statements saying that they “sincerely” apologize if anyone was offended. Sandlin at first tried to say that someone else placed the post about the “fat women” on his page.
He and Lucas both removed their postings and said the statements found on their pages do not reflect their true views.
Lucas was more detailed, adding that it was “certainly not my intent to make light of domestic violence or violence towards women.”
Still, such comments have no place in an America that is supposed to stand for equality and liberty for all, which is what many of the marchers have called for. This movement is not a tool of the political left, as Lucas and Sandlin were trying to suggest. This is also not a preemptive strike against Donald Trump.
It is simply a call for the country to do what is needed to safeguard our families so that everyone can have a better opportunity to achieve the American dream.
These kind of demeaning, sexist and thoughtless statements, whether they came from Lucas and Sandlin or their supporters, actually reveal the backward thinking that underscores why we needed to have a Women’s March in the first place.
Let us not allow negative, toxic comments from anyone to dampen the momentum and promise shown by women from all over our beautiful country who are working together to help America reach its full potential. Now is the time to carry the spirit of this movement into our communities and help deliver the changes that are needed.
