This is what Democracy looks like.
Last Saturday, January 21, 2017, all around Planet Earth, we showed up.
We showed up with posters. We showed up in pink pussy hats. We showed up, and not just us girls, the boys showed up too. We showed up by the busload. We showed up alone. We showed up with seasoned activists. We showed up with first-time voters. We showed up in living color. We showed up irrespective of income level. We showed up demanding living wages and equal compensation. We showed up with students. We showed up with songs. We showed up with your neighbor. We showed up with Catholics, and Wiccans, and Muslims, and Atheists. We showed up with doctors. We showed up with cancer survivors. We showed up with research scientists. We showed up with farmers. We showed up with business owners. We showed up with veterans.
We showed up with dignity. We showed up with grace. We showed up with humor. We showed up with compassion. We showed up with patience. We showed up with determination. We showed up for deeply personal reasons. We showed up to put the world on notice. We showed up with joyful enthusiasm. We showed up because equality for LGBTQ is a BFD and accepting that should be NBD. We showed up with battle scars and wisdom. We showed up with cautious optimism. We showed up with respect. We showed up to bask in inspiration. We showed up seeking validation. We showed up with fierce convictions. We showed up with curiosity. We showed up because we couldn’t not show up. We showed up because enough is enough.
We showed up so she could sleep a few hours between her first job and her second. We showed up because healthcare should be an inarguable right, and robbing Peter to pay Paul is a really lousy health plan. We showed up while Bob and Joe got married and while Sarah and Laura welcomed their first child. We showed up for Grammies who took care of little ones so daughters could show up to fight for them too. We showed up for those who are lost and for those who never stop looking. We showed up even for those who’d rather we not show up at all.
We showed up to proclaim that we shall rise above the politics of hate, fear, ignorance and greed. We showed up to fight for what we believe are basic human rights, because there is nothing more dehumanizing than showing up to look for them and finding they’re not there.
Last Saturday, January 21, 2017, all around Planet Earth, we showed up and showed the world what millions of peaceful protesters can do. Last Saturday, January 21, 2017, was not the main event. Last Saturday, January 21, 2017, was simply Opening Day.
Kim Brown Blogs 