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1/24/2017 0 Comments Why I marchEach of the women and men who marched in the One Million Women’s March on Washington, which drew additional thousands internationally, shared one thing in common: the urgency behind their reason to march. The reasons themselves ranged in the thousands. Some women held posters proclaiming “Why I march,” with only a photo of their young children beneath it — nothing more need to be said. Nonetheless, the march was designed in many ways to grab the ear of our new president and inform him of the will of the people he now has pledged to serve faithfully. Mr. President, seeing as how you weren’t in the crowd Saturday, this is why I marched. I marched because, with every tweet and comment about how minorities (comprising roughly 40 percent of the nation you now serve) are ruining our country, you are attacking my family, friends, neighbors and classmates. In the crowd Saturday, one marcher carried a sign that read, “I march for the mothers who are separated from their children.” Mr. President, your proposed immigration policies for Muslims, Mexicans and refugees run counter to every principle this nation was built on. We are a nation of immigrants — immigrants like my mother who didn’t speak English when she arrived but who tacitly understood the promise of the American dream: If you work hard, you can succeed here. She worked seven days a week as a waitress, hostess and chef at our family-owned restaurant to support her growing family without complaint; this is the spirit and story of immigrants repeated across the nation, and it is people like her who truly make America great, Mr. President. Rather than separating families or blocking certain groups from entering our country, embrace the strength in our diversity and allow them to bring their energy, passions and talents to the task of reinvigorating the nation’s economy as they pursue their own American dreams. I marched to demand that President Trump recognize the validity of climate change as we enter the third consecutive hottest year on record. Even though he may not live to see its devastating effects on coastal cities, hundreds of animal species, and millions of people for himself, there is little time before the damage becomes devastating and irreversible. For the sake of the generations of Americans whom he has just sworn to serve faithfully, President Trump must act now to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. and maintain climate accords abroad. I marched because breast cancer, in addition to devastating women’s lives and their families, is also incredibly expensive. After my mother’s battle with breast cancer, she was terrified of living without insurance because of her “pre-existing condition.” The Affordable Care Act insures my family today at a lower cost than before. If President Trump truly wants to play tug-of-war with the American people over keeping health care plans that provide for preventive care free of charge and that allow my sister and me to stay on our parents’ plan until after college, all I have to say to him is “Good luck.” I marched because women are more than pussies to grab, and while “nobody has more respect for women” than you, you’re now responsible for setting the example of how to treat women for young men internationally. Help us close the wage gap, regain control of choices for our own bodies, and obtain equality with our male counterparts in 2017. Mr. Trump, I didn’t vote for you, but you are now my president, as well as the president for the hundreds of thousands of women (and men) who marched for the causes that you have threatened through your rhetoric, promises and Twitter account. Two months ago, I knocked door to door and made call after call on behalf of Hillary Clinton, because I knew she would fight for my rights and my future. On Saturday, I marched to knock on your door, the White House, and now I call on you because you must defend my rights and my future. I am America’s women, scientists, students, children and minorities — and all that I ask is that you be our president, too. Rossella Gabriele is the Outreach Chair for Amnesty International on Washington and Lee's campus. Reach out to her at [email protected]
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