I am not usually an activist. I'm an overweight stay-at-home mom with bad hair who's just mad about our messed up election. The cool thing is that I'm not the only one who's mad. Have you listened to Rachel Maddow?
In twelve days, I'm going to cover my bad hair with a pink hat and join the protest on the street. The organizers expect 50,000 people at the Women's March on Seattle, the one that's happening in support of the Women's March on Washington. In DC, they're planning to see 150,000 people join. At least a hundred other cities have organized sister marches. It's going to be a huge statement, but what's our message?
The organizers say that it's not a protest against Trump, exactly, but exactly what am I trying to say by going? Some of my friends knitted pussy hats. Other friends posted updates on the conflict of interest, the wayward appointments to Trump's crazy cabinet. Yet others posted petitions to support the American Care Act and Planned Parenthood. Multiple messages are coming from the smart and powerful women that I know.
I'm convinced that the only way to have an impact is to keep pushing on a daily basis so I've tried to sound intelligent as I sent out letters to my politicians, signed petitions, shared articles from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Rachel Maddow. That woman is so smart and so furious. I want to be more like Rachel Maddow!
Personally, I'm going straight for the 'impeach him' message when I march in Seattle on January 21st.
The framers of the Women's March are more diplomatic with their mission statement. They say:
"In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore. The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us."
Beautiful, isn't it?
I'm trying to figure out what seven words to put on the banner I'm going to carry. I don't think I'll be as eloquent. What is my mission statement?
'Impeach him!' might say everything. I also like 'Pussy grabs back!" but I didn't come up with that on my own.
What about: "Use Emoluments! Impeach tiny-hands-pussy-grabber!" I can't even pronounce 'emoluments.' How can I put it on my banner?
This is a time for exclamation points, people. I could write:
"Trump grabs more than pussy. Impeach him!"
The hard part is that I have to make this sign in my sewing room and I'm not sure I want to encourage my teenage son to use the word 'pussy.' What are the rest of you smart and furious women doing about that?
So, my sign might be more demure, but only a little. Or maybe I could paint my sign while Nick is in school and hide it in my backpack like I did with the tiny shorts I wanted to wear to a pool party when I was sixteen. I loved those tiny shorts. I still have them in my closet. They were an emblem of my rebellion.
I need an emblem of my rebellion.
The funny thing is that Nick is totally on board with this movement. I love him. When I told him how many people were expected to march, he asked me if it was going to be dangerous. I told him I hoped I wouldn't get arrested. He wanted to know if I'd to borrow his gas mask in case there was tear gas. See, when he was ten, he saved his allowance for eighteen weeks and went to the Army Navy store to buy his treasure. It's gotten mixed reviews at Halloween. Some parents think we were crazy to have let him spend his money this way. I thought maybe they were right, but I went along with what Mike said: Let him spend his money on what he wants. It's not like it's a dangerous article. It just looks bad.
But is it going to be dangerous to protest on January 21st?
I don't want to need a gas mask. If there's tear gas, I'll probably skedaddle out of Dodge. I won't need a gas mask, will I? I think I'm freaking out a little bit here.
I doubt I will need a gas mask except for the attention it might garner. Do I want my picture on YouTube, my fat ass and bad hair? I don't think I'm brave enough to make the statement that a gas mask would bring. Have I told you I have no courage?
But if I did wear Nick's gas mask in the Women's March on Seattle, wouldn't it send quite a message? What a mission statement! Would people be reminded of the photos of old women and children wearing gas masks during World War II? Am I ready to make that accusation? People already have. There was the poor teacher who got fired for comparing Trump to Hitler.
I've begun to think that Trump is somehow less stable than Hitler. Can you imagine that? Did Hitler pop a cork when movie stars spoke out against him? Did Hitler melt down when people mocked his comb-over or his tiny hands?
Did Hitler also have tiny hands?
At least Hitler wasn't orange with pink hair. I think I have an idea for my banner!
Thank you for listening, jules
In twelve days, I'm going to cover my bad hair with a pink hat and join the protest on the street. The organizers expect 50,000 people at the Women's March on Seattle, the one that's happening in support of the Women's March on Washington. In DC, they're planning to see 150,000 people join. At least a hundred other cities have organized sister marches. It's going to be a huge statement, but what's our message?
The organizers say that it's not a protest against Trump, exactly, but exactly what am I trying to say by going? Some of my friends knitted pussy hats. Other friends posted updates on the conflict of interest, the wayward appointments to Trump's crazy cabinet. Yet others posted petitions to support the American Care Act and Planned Parenthood. Multiple messages are coming from the smart and powerful women that I know.
I'm convinced that the only way to have an impact is to keep pushing on a daily basis so I've tried to sound intelligent as I sent out letters to my politicians, signed petitions, shared articles from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Rachel Maddow. That woman is so smart and so furious. I want to be more like Rachel Maddow!
Personally, I'm going straight for the 'impeach him' message when I march in Seattle on January 21st.
The framers of the Women's March are more diplomatic with their mission statement. They say:
"In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore. The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us."
Beautiful, isn't it?
I'm trying to figure out what seven words to put on the banner I'm going to carry. I don't think I'll be as eloquent. What is my mission statement?
'Impeach him!' might say everything. I also like 'Pussy grabs back!" but I didn't come up with that on my own.
What about: "Use Emoluments! Impeach tiny-hands-pussy-grabber!" I can't even pronounce 'emoluments.' How can I put it on my banner?
This is a time for exclamation points, people. I could write:
"Trump grabs more than pussy. Impeach him!"
The hard part is that I have to make this sign in my sewing room and I'm not sure I want to encourage my teenage son to use the word 'pussy.' What are the rest of you smart and furious women doing about that?
So, my sign might be more demure, but only a little. Or maybe I could paint my sign while Nick is in school and hide it in my backpack like I did with the tiny shorts I wanted to wear to a pool party when I was sixteen. I loved those tiny shorts. I still have them in my closet. They were an emblem of my rebellion.
I need an emblem of my rebellion.
The funny thing is that Nick is totally on board with this movement. I love him. When I told him how many people were expected to march, he asked me if it was going to be dangerous. I told him I hoped I wouldn't get arrested. He wanted to know if I'd to borrow his gas mask in case there was tear gas. See, when he was ten, he saved his allowance for eighteen weeks and went to the Army Navy store to buy his treasure. It's gotten mixed reviews at Halloween. Some parents think we were crazy to have let him spend his money this way. I thought maybe they were right, but I went along with what Mike said: Let him spend his money on what he wants. It's not like it's a dangerous article. It just looks bad.
But is it going to be dangerous to protest on January 21st?
I don't want to need a gas mask. If there's tear gas, I'll probably skedaddle out of Dodge. I won't need a gas mask, will I? I think I'm freaking out a little bit here.
I doubt I will need a gas mask except for the attention it might garner. Do I want my picture on YouTube, my fat ass and bad hair? I don't think I'm brave enough to make the statement that a gas mask would bring. Have I told you I have no courage?
But if I did wear Nick's gas mask in the Women's March on Seattle, wouldn't it send quite a message? What a mission statement! Would people be reminded of the photos of old women and children wearing gas masks during World War II? Am I ready to make that accusation? People already have. There was the poor teacher who got fired for comparing Trump to Hitler.
I've begun to think that Trump is somehow less stable than Hitler. Can you imagine that? Did Hitler pop a cork when movie stars spoke out against him? Did Hitler melt down when people mocked his comb-over or his tiny hands?
Did Hitler also have tiny hands?
At least Hitler wasn't orange with pink hair. I think I have an idea for my banner!
Thank you for listening, jules
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