OPINION: Why Women March

By Bianca May

I feel it’s important for people to be informed. I am quite aware of how conservative news outlets report the Women’s Marches as “anti-abortion protests”... “the election”..or “women’s rights.” Its easy enough to criticize & say “what rights have you lost?” It’s not about “lost rights.”

It’s about Trump’s past rhetoric, campaign rhetoric & continued rhetoric about how he views women, his campaign promises to his donors (and let’s be honest, a Cabinet full of Big Business is NOT “for the people”)...and giving the country a visual that it is not okay.

The march encompassed many things including immigrant rights, the environment, healthcare, reproductive care access. That doesn’t mean “abortion” but includes birth control access, medical care access, and women’s health in the broad sense. I am personally pro-life but history tells us what an outright ban on abortion does not prevent it. Healthcare, birth control, comprehensive sex education...these prevent it. This was not “funded by George Soros” (frankly nothing more than the far right boogeyman), Planned Parenthood, etc & no one was paid.

If people choose to not inform themselves, that’s their choice but please be mindful of that & choose not to spread lies & misinformation b/c it was on meme or fox news, or Ted Nugent or whatever. I wouldn’t seek unbiased information from an opposing view, though they’re good for comparison. I “liked” all the Trumps pages plus a variety of Congresspeople. I choose to watch government proceedings on the congress dot gov site because I would rather get my info firsthand, and know firsthand what our leaders say, wouldn’t you? I also subscribe to foreign news outlets to see how

American events are viewed elsewhere, and also a lot of Congress people’s email newsletters. I encourage you all to do the same. While I realize Fox News gives people news they’re comfortable with, please realize news you’re comfortable with isn’t unbiased news. Or truthful news. Or accurate. Information shouldn’t just make you comfortable or only subscribe to your chosen views. The term is “ignorance is bliss” is an accurate one. So is “knowledge is power.”

Being informed is important & takes effort and due diligence in our current times of “alternate facts” - which used to be called “lies.”