Marching, in the words of Nike, just do it.

There have been a lot of posts by women on both sides of the coin. I echo many of the women who have posted in support of these marches. I went, but it wasn’t without a bit of back and forth before deciding I should physically attend. I had been to Seattle the previous two weekends, trips that do not lend well when it comes to getting basic stuff done around the house. Attending the march there meant a 3rd weekend in a row. Plus, Port Angeles was holding a version as well, I planned on attending. What caused me to decide to go Seattle after all? My friend, who simply said “We’ll be there, do you want to join us?” Fuck yeah, I do. She is one of the strongest women I know, and her daughter, who will be an equal force if not greater when she is an adult.

Here are a few reasons I marched.

First, my son. Yes, I said S-O-N, also known as male offspring. He’s 5 years old, but when he was born we had a horrible labor. It was very unexpected considering how my pregnancy had progressed. After delivery, he started having seizures and was whisked via airlift to Seattle where we remained hospitalized for about 21 days. If your hospital bill for a normal delivery scares you, you do not want to know the numbers charged to our insurance for his “room”.  Fortunately for us, Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act) had passed a year prior eliminating the lifetime maximum AND the risk of being denied care due to a pre-existing condition. THANK THE UNIVERSE! I could rest easy knowing his entrance into the world would not be grounds for denying him care. I said “could”. His continued coverage is now threatened. I am scared, not for me, but for him who, at age 5, could be denied health insurance should the ACA be repealed. Not cool. My wish is that he grows up in a world where he can take as much paternal leave as a woman for a new baby without being ridiculed.

Second, I marched for my friend’s daughter and her family, which is adding a new baby this year, who, if Obamacare is repealed, will have no care. Her parents both work hard, and have great jobs for our small town. The only thing is, their employers do not offer company health insurance plans, so they have signed up with Washington State’s health insurance exchange. For the first time in years her father had medical insurance and the whole family is covered for a reasonable price. In the case of their daughter, she has well-checks yet to be had and basic immunizations each year. Basic medical care for children. What of the new baby due to arrive in August? Repealing ACA would cut them all from care. This should not be taken away from them.

Third, I march for the rights of women. The right to equal wages. As an example a friend of mine who works a STEM field holds a  Bachelor Degree and experience, she damn well should make more than her male counterpart who has little to no experience and no degree.  The right to speak for what happens with our bodies. I’m a former breastfeeding mother, while out of the house I shouldn’t have needed to feel embarrassed because my infant was hungry. Mothers of today who chose to breastfeed, shouldn’t be subject to objectification when they are tending to the basic needs of their baby.

So, yes I stand with Planned Parenthood. I support PBS, NPR, science, music and arts programs in our schools. In fact, as a former music student, I feel that I am a better person because of it. I made friends from all walks of life, in a landscape not shaped by what class we were in or how much money our parents had, but instead on how well we played music.

Thank you to the woman throughout history who stood up for woman’s rights. Your courage has inspired me to not let your hard work go to waste.

I encourage all women who attended marches around the world to share #WhyIMarched on social media, blogs and the like.

Further reading From The Medium. I also suggest this fine mix of music, created by DJ Bret Law, titled In Times Like These Vol 1.

Looking to Donate? We will be donating to Planned Parenthood. Others to be decided. But likely ACLU, NPR and PBS as well.