Stop Discouraging Millennials From Protesting

The Women’s March, an empowered protest aimed atvividly vocalizing the fight for women’s rights shattered the glass ceiling to absolute pieces in the most peaceful, yet powerful manner conceivable.

  An estimated 60,000 people marched in Atlanta. 250,000 in Chicago. 250,000 people in Boston. 200,000 more in Denver. In New York, the estimate ranges from 200,000-500,000. City officials estimate that 500,000 people participated in the main march in Washington, DC. In Los Angeles, the estimate is anywhere from 200,000-750,000.

The women (And men!) of the country were out in full force to make a statement, and they damn well managed to do so – amid embracing resistance with open arms. In the history of the United States, there has never been a one-day protest this immense. 

But despite an evident visual representation of American’s who made it an obligation to be the change they ache to see in the world along with countless statistics that prove the power we had and have to be influential enough in to trigger responses and provoke conversations. Whether they are negative or positive. We’ve got the world talking, and that’s a predominantly significant intention in this process of a revolution in the making.

There are really people out there who still believe, that this platform we all have as human beings  are drastically insignificant and won’t create any impact amid a circumstance that is already hopeless beyond explanation.

Donald Trump argued that – those who marched, didn’t actually vote :

Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2017

Uh, Mr. President – that is an hysterically distorted theory. Considering of course, the reality of the situation is that the scores of Americans who showed up to protest this weekend — intertwined with the total count on the popular vote win to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who received 2,864,974 more votes on November 8th than Trump.

I, being one the many women who did both, with the uptmost pride :

Amid documenting my experience of the Women’s March On NYC, as I was taking a photo of a collection of statement posters on the ground.

An older man stood next to me – almost intrigued, with his hands in his pockets and said –

Can I ask you something?

What’s the point to all of this?

He’s already inaugurated. It’s over.

To which, I didn’t respond. Because of course, fighting the patriarchy is exhausting as it is. On top of having to clarify my right to breathe without restrictions. Why am I doing this? Better question is, Why aren’t you?

There are people who are so against the fundamental concept of millennials rebelling in the act of protesting that they have poured their energy into composing articles as repulsive as this : ” Hey Millenials, Your Protesting Is Pointless” – Along with articles that capture a deeper perspective and spotlight a more intimate issue as to why anyone would fear expressing resistance.

Donald Trump is a danger to Americans and America itself. Opposing him will require focused vigilance, and concerted activism that is targeted, intelligent, nuanced, and appropriately calibrated (as as I have argued previously). But prematurely elevating the faux concerns of a hyper-active feminist lobby will make it far more difficult to launch a serious resistance movement.

Whether the reason for refusing to support basic human rights revolves around : their personal intimidation of women unapologetically taking back their control, the fact they never found the audacity to recognize their own power, refuse to accept that it exists,  or – of course, the simply have no concern or need to contribute to this movement because none of the matters at stake pertain to them. In perspective, the average privileged white male would understandably, have no authentic reason to fear – as it doesn’t apply or affect him.

Regardless of the reasoning, it doesn’t provide anyone to right to discourage those with hope for the future. There is absolutely nothing absurd about making the decision to utilize our competence with dignity..

Here’s why you should bother to protest : 
– ” This is What Democracy looks like”
– It is our constitutional right
– It increases visibility of the cause.
– It demands a response.
– It provokes and initiates signficicant conversations
– It highlights the issues that need to be seen.
– It unifies, engages, strengthens, and builds community.
– It exposes the authority.
– It’s doing something.

Honestly, don’t allow someone behind the computer doing nothing but complaining about your empowerment – try and tell you that you should be getting a job. Because, that’s an entirely separate (comical) article on it’s own.

Stay informed. Grow stronger. Get louder. Be prouder. Remain awake. Keep vigilant. Exist relentlessly. Stay inspired, spread love. Not Hate.

Remember that this future is ours to create, it is our responsibility to take control. And damn right, we ARE powerful.

And that is an understatement.