By: Zoe Strickland Managing Editor
The past 19 days have been full of marches and protests. From the National Women’s Marches across the country to the Science March that’s being planned planned for Earth Day, people are trying to make sure that their voices are heard.
The National Women’s March was one of the largest marches in history; people of all genders and nationalities came together to express their opposition to the inauguration. Among those protesters was a large volume of white, able-bodied, cisgendered women. Hell, the hats that were being knitted for the Women’s March were essentially a representation of cisgendered genitalia.
I get that people tend to feel attacked when you bring this up, but this is something that should be brought up. My problem with white cis-women showing up in droves to march comes when you compare the crowds at the Women’s March to the crowds at nearly every other protest or march around the country – crowds that get less attention because this section of the population isn’t there. The public are more likely to reflect positively about an event if white women are there; it makes no sense, but that’s institutionalized prejudice for you.
The amount of people marching across the country was massive; it was great. But where are those crowds of people during Black Lives Matter protests? Where are they during the uprise against the Dakota access pipeline? What are they doing to help the Flint water crises?
If you marched or wanted to march at the National Women’s March, remember to keep your views intersectional. Remember that there are people who may not have an identity similar to yours that still need to be supported. Transgender and gender-nonconforming people need to be supported. People with disabilities need to be supported. People of different races need to be supported. Just because a protest or march may not apply to you, doesn’t mean you can dismiss it and just not pay attention.
When you look at how many people protested in Portland after the election and then look at which of those people actually voted in the election, there’s a massive disconnect. The Oregonian reported that of the 112 people arrested at the protest, only 28 percent of them actually voted and that 32 percent voted but didn’t turn in their ballot.
Even though the Women’s March exists as a result of the anticipated anti-women policies of the current administration, CNN reported that 52 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump. This half-hearted attempt at showing discontent won’t get things done.
The people who are against the Trump administration and their policies have four more years- activist efforts shouldn’t be confined to just the months surrounding the election and inauguration.
All of these marches and protests mean nothing if you pick and choose which causes to support. Just because you obtain rights that you’re comfortable with, doesn’t mean the job is done; it just means that you are currently more privileged.
Protests and activism are a vital part of our rights as citizens – why not take advantage of that right? In our current digital age, you don’t have an excuse for not being an active member of society. If you can’t make it to a protest, you can still talk about it. You can still stay educated, you can still educate other people.
Contact the author at zstrickland14@wou.edu
