
My parents were Eastern European Jews, who came here in the years between WWI and WWII. When people hear this, most will say, “Well, luckily, they weren’t in Europe during the Nazis’ time.” That is correct. But, while they escaped Nazism, they lived the brutality that preceded it. They lived the massacres of the pogroms, they lived seeing family members shot in public. They lived the reality of economic deprivation. They lived the upheaval of trying to survive in a territory that was constantly being fought over by two different countries, whose only common ground was a hatred for the Jews. The lucky ones, like my parents, made it out.
Others didn’t. One of my father’s older brothers had a job, a wife, and a young son. Confronted with the prospect of the difficulty and the uncertainty that would result from a move across the world, he chose to stay. He could not imagine that things would get that bad. He and his wife paid for that decision with their lives.
If I’ve learned any lesson from my family’s history, it is that silence, accommodation, and an unwillingness to face reality changes nothing. It is our duty as citizens to abide by the laws of our country and to follow its dictates. But it is also our duty to recognize injustice and to make our voices heard. And, above all, it is to not allow the comfort of our own lives to blind us to the discomfort of others.
Let’s be very clear here: I don’t believe that Donald Trump is Adolph Hitler. Nor do I believe that our country will become anything even close to Nazi Germany. Hitler was a very complex personality. Trump is not. Hitler had a vision. Trump does not. Hitler was disciplined and focused on his vision of a militaristic nation, scrubbed clean of groups he believed were either inferior or were threats to him. Trump is undisciplined and unfocused. There is no grand plan. There is, however, either a basic disregard or a basic misunderstanding of the fallout that will occur once his policies are implemented.
Germany was coming out of a war that humiliated it and emasculated its population and an economic depression that was long and severe. The US, for all of its weaknesses, stands tall in the world and remains economically healthy. Trump may tell us that we are fighting for our economic lives. While the drama of the words play well on TV and in rallies, they do not translate in reality.
I don’t need the threat of a Holocaust to set me into motion. All I need is a belief that the policies of the incoming administration will result in the marginalization of those who are least likely to put up a defense. And that the half of the population, of which I am a member, and who got the vote as recently as during the time my parents were alive, will have some of their hard-won rights eroded.
My family’s experience will not be mine. Because I was born here, and, because, unlike my parents, I was raised to believe that the country in which I lived provided opportunity, rather than fear, I will march. Because I believe that a country that marginalizes some people, weakens us all, I will march. Because I believe that the enrichment of the few does not enrich the many, I will march. Simply put, I choose to have a different experience than that of my family. Not because I am stronger or wiser, but rather, because I am a citizen of a country that I believe is better than this.
Because of these personal reasons, along with thousands of other women and men, I will march on January 21, 2017, one day after the inauguration. My daughter will have her seven-month-old son with her. So technically, we will be three generations marching.
The mission and vision of the march is as follows: “We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families – recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.”
The march is expected to be one of the largest ever held in DC, and, because of that, it has attracted men and women with seemingly differing agendas. Some of these agenda may seem extraneous or conflicting, or even to have nothing to do with women, per se. But the march, unlike the incoming administration, is not exclusive. The agenda may differ, but the message is clear: We are here. We are strong. We are watching. And we will not be ignored or excluded or shut out. We are citizens of the most powerful country on the planet. More than that, we, ourselves, are powerful.
ksbeth
January 16, 2017
i am so proud of you for doing this. my daughter will be there as well. we will not be silenced.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
At last count, there were 386 women’s marches planned around the world on Jan 21. Please let this be the start of a new wave of activism, for women’s rights, for human rights. For ALL humans.
ksbeth
January 17, 2017
Yes
Crystal Reid
January 17, 2017
Re: The Women’s March, What are we being silenced on? What rights are we losing? The only thing I can think of is the curbing of abortion. Is this bad, babies lives are at stake? Is there anything else? What am I missing?
BABYBOOMER johanna van zanten
January 16, 2017
So great that this is going on in my neighbouring nation. All the power to you!
Johanna
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Thanks, Johanna. For good reason, the world is laughing over our choice of president. Let this be a message that we are more intelligent, more caring, and more aware than the result of our election would indicate.
Janet Duval
January 16, 2017
Blessings from Canada. I think the whole country is with you in spirit.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Thanks, Janet. Canada will have a big presence at the DC march, as well as having marches on Canadian soil. May we all make our voices heard, loud and clear.
rosiebooks2009
January 16, 2017
I would join you, if not too far away in the UK. Good for you – good for all of you, women (and men) for making your feelings known. : )
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Thanks, Rosie. London is expecting thousand of women to show for their own march on that day. Hurray for all of us!
Andrew Reynolds
January 16, 2017
I can’t make it to DC, but they holding a march in my town. My wife and I will be out there with a bunch friends. We’re with you.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Fantastic. May we all have a powerful and glorious day.
Donna Cameron
January 16, 2017
I will be with you in spirit as my sister-in-law and I march–with thousands of others–across Seattle. May the sun shine on us all.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Hurray for you, and for Seattle. That city is a mecca of progressive thought.
realestatehomepro
January 16, 2017
We’ll be there with you.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Great!
Retirementallychallenged.com
January 16, 2017
My husband and I, along with many of our friends, will be joining the march here in San Diego. We must continue to make our voices heard.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
If this election has had any positive impact, it’s that it has been a wake up call for many of us. Freedom isn’t free. It take vigilance and action.
hmunro
January 16, 2017
“It is our duty as citizens to abide by the laws of our country and to follow its dictates. But it is also our duty to recognize injustice and to make our voices heard.” BRAVO. To quote another great mind, “If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”
― Albert Einstein
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Ah, I am overwhelmed to be included in the same comment as Einstein, especially since I am a complete disaster in anything science-related. But, thankfully, this is about words.
Sonjey
January 16, 2017
Renee, you are my hero! Hopefully I will see you at the March!
Sonjey
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
I was thrilled to hear that you are coming in for the march and will be marching with Liz. How wonderful. I hope I see you! xxoo
Bonnie J.
January 16, 2017
You bring up some good points. I have a sister who is taking my young niece to the march, and they are coming from NW Ohio. I voted Libertarian because both major choices nauseated me. My problem with all of this is lack of attention to history and the constitution. In 1980, with Reagan’s first term coming in, I feared for women. Ms. Magazine had an article saying we’d all be relegated to the old Nazi scenario of “kirche, kuche, kinder.” Never happened. Roe v. Wade stood, the new President nominated the first female to the Supreme Court, the economy improved for most people (including women), and the Berlin Wall came down shortly after he left office in ’89. I trust our constitution and lessons from history. For anyone out there going on the DC or other marches, please stay safe.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Thanks for your comments, Bonnie. My ex was a presidential appointee under Reagan. Reagan was a different type of man, and that was a different era. We are now more extreme, more divided, and even more committed to the dollar over all else. I suspect that if Reagan were around today, he would be accused of being a moderate by the new powers-that-be in the Republican party. Whatever issues I had with Reagan (in spite of my ex’s position), it wasn’t extremism. That’s the issue I see now, a powerful extremist wing of the Republican party and a new president who is incapable of understanding the nuances of power. That said, while I hope you are right, I won’t sit this one out and hope for the best.
Gail
January 16, 2017
Trump may not be complex, have a vision, or be disciplined and focused, or have the ability to formulate a feasible plan, but I wonder about those behind him who strategically orchestrated his win.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Great point, Gail. I wonder if those people will run amok behind the scenes, while Trump continues to conduct love rallies in his honor, Tweet round the clock, and make pronouncements that make no sense to anyone with even a minimal knowledge of the English language and/or a minimal understanding of foreign policy and economics.
Gail
January 17, 2017
To those who voted for him, buyer beware.
ugiridharaprasad
January 16, 2017
Reblogged this on ugiridharaprasad.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Thanks for the reblog!
Taswegian1957
January 17, 2017
I’ll be with you in spirit from a continent away.
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Thanks! And, wherever you are, I suspect there will be “sister” marches. I love that it’s become a worldwide phenomenon.
Crystal Reid
January 17, 2017
Re: The Women’s March, What are we specifically marching for? What are we, women, afraid of under this new administration and what do you feel we are being silenced on? What rights are we losing? The only thing I can think of is the curbing of abortion. REALLY, Is this bad? I mean we are KILLING babies. Babies lives are at stake. Why do women want the right to kill their children? What else Is there we are marching for? What am I missing? What are we afraid of?
Life in the Boomer Lane
January 17, 2017
Crystal, getting into a discussion about abortion is as productive as getting into a discussion about gun control or religion. I won’t waste my time on this. Yes, it is the biggest issue we women have. I will only say that it’s an issue that is far more complex and has far-reaching implications that go well beyond what you call “killing babies.” And beyond abortion, we have issues around equal pay for equal work (an ongoing issue which will get worse), adequate childcare options (government funding may dry up), rape prosecution (the ongoing belief among some republicans that rape is the fault of the woman), contraception education (many red states now teach abstinence but avoid teaching contraception), divorce and single parenthood (in which women almost always lose, economically). Various Republicans have been quite vocal about all of these issues. That’s what will get worse, Crystal. In addition to marching for women’s rights, we are marching for the rights of all–for the gays and lesbians, for the disenfranchised, for immigrants, for minorities. In other words, for human beings who have every bit as much value as you do and who, like you, deserve to live lives of dignity and opportunity. Crystal, believe me when I say that if you, personally, are unaware of any of this (beyond abortion), please understand that millions of others have suffered. Women, specifically, have been vulnerable in many ways, across much of the planet. And so, we march for ourselves and for those who can’t march for themselves. It is the least we can do.
Crystal Reid
January 18, 2017
Thank you for your response. Discussions on gun control, religion, abortion are all very productive discussions. How about a discussion on the movement towards STERILIZATION? This movement will certainly curb a lot of the other controversial issues. Yes, I am all for supporting and protecting ALL! I am also all for rape prosecution, contraception education, child care, legal Immigration- so perhaps we need to relook at our laws so that more people can come to the US LEGALLY. Definitely we MUST have EQUAL PAY for EQUAL WORK- We already have laws for this!, Sexuality- what people do behind closed doors is up to them unless they are taking advantage of another person, then it is a crime. So, it does come down to ABORTION. Do you really think that allowing a person to kill a baby which is NOT part of one’s own body, but another person, is a loving act? Is this caring about others? Is it Just? I think what we should march for is STERILIZATION for all who do not what children. Then people can do what they what with their own bodies and NOT hurt anyone. They do not have to worry about the inconvenience having children. Children will not cost them anything, women will be able to spend more on themselves!!! Hurray, Hurrah! WE do not have to worry about anybody interfering with OUR work. We will have the FREEDOM of NO Children. Get sterilized. Let’s government fund this. It will also help population control! Good for the Environment! Women do not have to worry about an abortion going wrong, possible health consequences, even death. We will no longer hassle about abortion. Sounds like a great solution! If a woman changes her mind and wants children, she/we may be able to reverse, if not, how about a surrogate, adoption??. Many, many options. Let’s end abortion. Yes, march for sterilization!
Anonymous
January 17, 2017
” I voted Libertarian because both major choices nauseated me.”
Bonnie J, are you really equating a respected, former US Senator/ Secretary of State with the Carnival Barker/Con Man who will be taking the Oath of Office on Friday?
It’s critical thinking like yours that enabled the unthinkable: President Donald J. Trump.
Sweet Sue
January 17, 2017
” I voted Libertarian because both major choices nauseated me.”
Bonnie J, are you seriously equating a former U S Senator/ Secretary of State who’s respected around the world with the Carnival Barker/Con Man who will be taking the Oath of Office on Friday?
It’s critical thinking like yours that is responsible for the unthinkable: President Donald J. Trump.