A Shot Across the Bow

So Kellyanne Conway didn’t see the point of the Women’s March on Washington.  This is not terribly surprising; Trump’s crew is full of clueless types who seem to believe their own propaganda.  But whenever there is a large demonstration like this, people who don’t agree with the demonstrators’ positions often ask (usually in a grouchy tone) what they hope to accomplish, or why they don’t do something more constructive.  In response, here are three things that demonstrations accomplish (by no means a complete list).

     First, public demonstrations like the Women’s March help people to understand that they are not alone.  Large public gatherings help people to see that they are not the only one who is “different,” who looks or acts different, who questions the dominant view of things, who wants different things.  They help people to escape the shame and self-loathing that is often the punishment imposed on those who are different.  This has been particularly important for the movement to secure civil rights for people who do not fit neatly into the standard categories of gender and sexuality and such.  It has also played an important role in the movement to secure the civil rights of people with disabilities.  

     I think this will be a very important element of the effort to turn the demonstrations into a sustainable movement to resist the fascist threat posed by Trump and the GOP.  Many of the people involved in the demonstration and related political efforts are participating in politics for the very first time in their lives.  It takes courage, which is a very difficult virtue to acquire; generally, the support of others is essential.  

     Second, demonstrations serve the very practical purpose of allowing people to identify potential allies and create networks that cross geographic or economic or cultural or racial or religious boundaries.  The Women’s March was an extraordinarily diverse crowd.  Every sort of person that Trump has insulted and threatened in the course of his campaign (which is pretty much every sort of person that there is) was represented.  This shows that we can resist the efforts to set us against one another that are the common weapon of fascists.  The March gave us some reason to hope that we will continue to do so.

     Third, demonstrations can serve as a warning to those at whom they are directed, a shot across the bow, as it were.  Trump has promised fascism.  The Women’s March was a loud and clear announcement that some just aren’t having it, that some will resist the descent into fascism.  What it means to “resist” will depend in part on exactly what the Trump administration does, and in part on the moral commitments that individuals can only make for themselves.  Resistance is not the same as revolution, and it is often most effective when it is non-violent and lawful.  

     In any case, it is clear that our country has fallen under the ancient Chinese curse—we live in interesting times.  One sign I saw at the March said “Vulva la Resistance.”  I am not sure exactly what that means, but I’m pretty sure it means some kind of trouble.