 |
| We managed a photo at the big Earth. |
The Great Women's March of January 21, 2017.
There was a lot to digest from yesterday. Of course, this was a woman's march. There were many, many people letting the world know that we would not tolerate a world that normalizes sexual assault, that demeans women by equating us with pussies, that disempowers us by taking away reproductive rights. There were many that were letting the world know that LGBTQ rights were not going away without a fight. There were breast cancer survivors walking shirtless to demonstrate that mastectomies are not all pink ribbons. Left wing identity politics, as they say, were on full display AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. November 9 was a day we woke to find that we must continue to demand our rights are respected. They are imperiled and it comes down to us to demand our rightful place in this world.
 |
| Environmentalsim=Patriotism |
Not all was so-called left identity politics, though. There were people reminding us all of the Russian problems and that Trump is compromised. There were Christians simply letting the world know that they wanted a world that loved their neighbor. People demanding educational opportunities, healthcare, and more. Most notably to me, I saw people picking up the mantle of patriot, wearing the flag, carrying signs that called themselves patriots. I was particularly excited when I saw someone that equated environmentalism with patriotism, given my own push to reclaim the word patriot for those that act to protect our natural resources and strengthen our nation through cutting carbon emissions.
But there is another thing that became apparent yesterday on which I want to focus. Outside of the focused climate movement, perhaps for one of the first times, in the greater, broad coalition of people that might attend a march, emerged a clear and resounding demand for action on climate. It turns out people are beginning to fully recognize climate change is a central issue. Look at just a small sampling of the signs:
 |
| You can't merge women's rights and climate better than this! |
 |
| Scientists and Science Show Up At the March |
 |
| Look carefully! Three unrelated climate signs caught in one moment. |
 |
| Turns out people can care about science and human beings all at once. ;) |
 |
| There is nothing more feminist than recognizing women are scientists and need funding. |
 |
| We managed to pop into this one :) |
It is a beautiful thing to see science, science funding and scientists represented at a woman's march. More, it is a powerful thing to see that demands for climate science and action are now merging with demands for democracy, for equality, for empowerment of all of our citizens.
And well it should be. Women have demonstrated time and again that when we are empowered, we make good decisions for our families and our homes. Scientists have demonstrated time and again that we need to make good decisions to cut emissions in order to build a clean energy economy, to preserve a strong nation, to preserve the natural resources necessary to a strong economy and a livable world in which our children can thrive.
At the end of the day, perhaps this was a march for human beings, where it was recognized that women are human beings. That is profound, as profound as Clinton's famous words to the same effect. More, it is essential that we are beginning to recognize that empowered human beings protect healthy climates and that healthy climates protect us all.
Post Script:
One of the first blog notes I ever wrote was an entreaty to feminists to recognize that climate change was a feminist issue. Climate change impacts the disempowered first and most fiercely. Too, I entreated the climate activists to recognize that feminism was a climate issue. Empowering women meant empowering those that make many of the decisions that impact climate, including reproduction and consumption.
I wondered then if it was the Kochs, as common enemy, that would unite these two forces. It appears to have been the case.
No comments:
Post a Comment