Darrah Walker
Lantern Staff
On Saturday, Jan. 20, men, women and children gathered around City Hall in downtown Wichita for the Women’s March rally.
Many people have no idea what exactly the Women’s March entails. The Women’s March focuses their mission on ending violence, and they promote equal rights for everyone no matter the race, gender or religion. There is a wide variety of issues this group is concerned about.
People hear the word feminism and automatically judge and turn away from that person. Though the main focus of feminism is the equality for women, which focuses on the equality for everyone. Feminism is not a bad thing or something to be ashamed of.
Being a part of the crowd, I intended to stand for the most recent accusations on the USA Gymnastics Team who survived the abuse from the team’s doctor. I believe no woman or any person should be abused in any form.
It is known that a lot of people view women to be weak and powerless, so in today’s society, it’s not common to hear women come forward and talk about the abuse they have experienced. A lot of the abuse that many hear about is done in the privacy of a home or in a work environment. Most survivors remain quiet, but organizations like #MeToo focus on encouraging people to come forward and speak out against sexual harassment and violence. Each year, more women come forward, which encourages others to do the same.
As I stood there, I observed the people around me that were gathered around the speakers. I read signs that said “I’m With Her” or “My Body My Choice”. I also saw all kinds of people wearing pink pussy hats, rainbow colors and shirts that said “Love Trumps Hate”. In all honesty, I found the people around me strong and dedicated to their beliefs.
Alongside adults were children of all ages. With provocative signs and clothing, I did not feel it was appropriate for a child to attend. I believe that it is important that children are taught about protests and movements, but in a scene that is appropriate for children.
Standing with the crowd I just kept asking myself, will this rally change people’s bad behavior?
If we all stand with signs and yell out chants like “Hear our vote”, all that will come out of it is a person’s confidence to stand up and speak out. As tough as it sounds, signs and chants won’t impeach the president, ensure equal pay for women and it won’t stop a bad person from doing bad things.
I believe that protesting and marching is a great way to show the strength people can have and inspire others to come forward with what they believe. That is basically the only true outcome that can come out of protesting.