Peaceful Demonstrations

My first introduction to peaceful protest was when I was a 17 year old freshman at UCBerkley.  We called it the Free Speech Movement, led by activist Mario Savio.  Marches were held often.  I'm not sure I even knew why I was marching then.  It was the thing to do, and it was exciting.  Then came the Civil Rights movement, which I never got involved in.  I would watch Martin Luther King, Jr. on TV and was proud of what he was doing, but never got involved.

Then came Vietnam.  Again, I strongly supported the anti Vietnam movement, but I was a young married woman with a full time job, and marching didn't fit into my schedule.  I watched our young men and women come home in body bags, knew it was a war that should not be, but I did nothing.

Now we have another chance to march.  The Women's March, the day after President Trump's innauguration, was a perfect chance to show my support for the progress that women have made in all areas of life, and to show that I'm for our nation having an agenda to make life better for all citizens.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Women's March in San Diego.  To me that means I will try harder to attend the next march.  There will surely be more.

The hundreds of thousands of men, women and children that showed up to march on January 21 were there to support an agenda that includes health care for all, affordable health insurance, equal rights and pay for equal work, climate control, and good education for all.  They were supporting a tax system that is fair, and where the wealthy do not reap the majority of the benefits.  They were also there to find strength in numbers, and to talk to others who shared their hopes.  I stood with them, even though I was not there.  I know there will be more marches.  I hope to be present at the next one.