Why I March

by Abby Brill While I was raised in a household where social justice was valued and those who fought for it were admired, I myself was never particularly politically active apart from voting regularly. I enjoyed a privileged life in a demographic where my rights as a woman were taken for granted. It was simply assumed that I would go to college, marry whom I chose, and be treated always with respect. What I failed to remember as a young person was that many, many others fought and even died for my civil rights. Like many women, I had a rude awakening in November 2016 and have watched in horror and rising outrage the unfolding of the current administration's agenda. I was part of  a large group that formed in the Prescott area in January 2017 to resist the inhumane, backwards-thinking policies of this administration, which negates the rights that so many of us have thus far taken for granted. I marched with many other kindred spirits in the Women's March, the March f...

I march because we build strength and confidence together when we stand up in public for something. We marched in the 60’s and early 70’s for civil rights and brought about real change. Since the 2016 election marching has become an essential part of my life, because I can’t sit back and watch all that I hold dear about this country be taken away for the benefit of corporate donors and the 1%. I call, resistbot, and send cards to my representatives, but in marching I am joining others and creating a collective strength. Many people cannot march, but they can see us marching and know they are not alone in their desire for decency and the protection of basic human rights.