I marched last weekend and it felt great. Surrounded by sisters from across the US and those from other countries (I came across a contingent from Canada) marching made me feel powerful. It made me feel like I had compatriots who felt the same way I did about what was happening in the US since the election of Donald Trump as President of the US. The very fact that such a phenomenal number of us gathered the day after Trump's inauguration while grandstands and seats remained on the Capitol steps; that we marched past the flags draping Union Station for his party (what arrogance to shut down the Capitol's train station to celebrate his election!); that we peacefully made our presence and passion felt along with sisters across the globe; gave me hope for our future instead of despair. I felt triumphant and vindicated after feeling hopeless following the night of the election.
But now it's back to reality. I'm doing what I can to make my voice heard in DC by contacting legislators and sharing ideas about how to affect change on private group pages on Facebook. But it's hard to remain positive. Those who support Trump refer to those of us who despise him as 'fairies', 'whiners', 'babies', or worse. There are trolls who comment negatively on even the most innocuous postings. There's daily news about the latest edict issued by Trump - putting an end to immigrants entering the country, the ridiculous individuals he's nominated for cabinet positions - the list goes on and he's only been in office for a week!
Mostly I'm concerned about my friends who are so incredibly stressed out by his actions. Those with parents or relatives who are immigrants. Members of marginalized communities like LGBTQ, Muslims, African Americans who fear for their families. Maybe that seems ridiculous to those who support Trump's actions, but the result of his policies has emboldened the very worst of the racists and white supremacists. There have been incidents of slur-slinging, defacing of property and threats against persons. My daughter-in-law is Jewish and feels threatened. This really upsets me and makes me feel helpless all over again, despite my feelings of empowerment just last weekend.
And I'm worried about my own future. I'd love to kid myself into thinking that my stock portfolio will benefit long-term with Trump in the White House but I'm not going to be fooled by his 'business first' perspectives into thinking I'll benefit financially from his policies. There are way too many implications associated with his foreign policy and propensity to commit diplomatic gaffes to lead me to believe that his policies will affect my personal bottom line positively. I'm lucky - I have a good job with great benefits and a decent salary. I don't have to support anyone other than myself and my husband, but worry about retirement and whether we'll be able to make it without being a burden on our kids.
So what now? I will carry that feeling of empowerment from the March with me forward and remain as positive as possible. I'm going to keep working at activism and ensuring my voice is heard in DC. In doing these things I'll try to encourage my friends and bring them along with me while leading them to successful outcomes. We may be down, but we're not out, and the law is on our side. Onward and upward!
