Why I March

I march on because the current administration is tearing the fabric of our country to shreds. I march on in solidarity with those beside me—my sisters and brothers—to remind our citizenry what we are losing. In 2018 every time I marched, I thought of my maternal grandmother—Maria (Mary) Anastas Caronna. She was 18 months old when her family made it by ship in steerage to a Texas port from Milan, in the late 1800’s. When her father found out that food was distributed to families in alphabetical order, he told the purser on the ship that someone spelled their last name, Nastasis, incorrectly—and they became the Anastas family. As their father worked along the east coast mending and making shoes, the family (mother, father, 4 sisters) eventually made their way to Brooklyn, NY. Once in Brooklyn, my great-grandmother started sewing piecework and specialized in buttonholes on shirt cuffs. Mary was a ‘runner’ – she either picked up raw materials for her mother or delivered finishe...

In 2015 I did nothing in the political arena; I was asked, but declined because I was “too busy”. Ever since I have regretted that answer.  My first political action in 2017 was to take part in the Women’s March. Now  I “march” every day because the current administration is destroying our society piece by piece and making decisions without input from both parties or sexes. Women are not represented  equally in the current administration’s cabinet, nor are they nominated for judgeships. In addition, women are not respected by the current president, who sets a poor moral example for our children and grandchildren. Women are being denied their reproductive rights; impoverished children are without medical insurance; LBGTQ have been denied serving in the military; immigrants are no longer welcome and their families are being ripped apart; our environment is being ravaged; our standing in the world community is tarnished and ill-considered “tweets” have replaced thou...