Could the massive Women’s Marches across the U.S. and around the globe – now estimated to have had 3.2 million to 4.2 million participants, Making it the largest demonstration in U.S. history – herald a re-invigorated progressive movement?
On Sunday, Jan. 22, MSNBC news anchor Richard Liu asked Beth Fouhy, senior politics editor at NBC News and MSNBC, whether the Women’s March is a revival of the women’s movement or just a revival of the Democratic party.
Fouhy said, “It was a first step in the revival of a progressive movement. I would say it shows the basic irrelevance of the Democratic party. There was very little Democratic party involvement, per se, in this march. These were very grassroots marches; they grew up out of Facebook, grew out of social media. Certainly, Democratic officials wanting to jump in and be part of it, but it was not caused by the Democratic party. So what we saw was immediately about women’s issues, but it really was more about the progressive movement."
Many marchers’ handmade signs, as well as the rally’s speakers at the Women's March on Washington, expressed several of the same concerns which tend to fit under an over-arching view – best articulated in a line made famous by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton: "Women's rights are human rights."
While she may not be the “true progressive” candidate in the sense that Bernie Sanders supporters believed in, that phrase does encompass the essence of “women’s work.”
The Global Educator
Let’s face it, women’s historic role has not just been about raising families, but fulfilling a complementary role to that of men – creating a societal environment from home to the community and the world – which is nurturing and safe for the next generation to thrive in, to fulfill their innate human potential, to thus contribute to their communities. Democracy itself – the freedom to fulfill our innate human potential – is a result of the struggles of our collective ancestors throughout human history, not a result just based on patriarchal brute strength, militarism and conquest; but one borne of cooperation, collaboration and innovation – the complementary gifts of matriarchy, of the feminine, of the love, hope, nurturing and solace that respects our innate humanity and our dignity, giving space for creativity to be nourished and the collective cooperative spirit of communities to manifest dreams.
It will take a global community to manifest BIG dreams, not one that is isolationist and fearfully threatens others in this community.
Today, humanity in general has become more cognizant of the need for a healthy “balance”, particularly in our highly interconnected, technological lifestyles today. To a lesser degree, there’s now a broader awareness that perhaps, our basic human developmental needs (such as those by theorized by Abraham Maslow and Erik Erikson) should be addressed at all levels of society to help build a healthy balance between mind, body and soul – for creating healthy communities, (as in Scandinavia, after World War II):
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs — the foundational needs to be met in order to be able to meet the higher stages of human development, with self-actualization and altruism at the top
- physical needs such as clean air, water, healthy food and secure, peaceful shelter from the elements, and thus, the development and stewardship a healthy sustainable economy that will not destroy or deplete our natural resources;
- emotional growth needs for building trust and security so that loving, healthy relationships can be formed for families and cooperative communities free of fear of recurring cycles of mistrust, poverty, violence, war and terrorism;
- intellectual needs, to educate everyone in sustainable economies that respect everyone’s innate natural talents are matched to their jobs, with free education, health care and job counseling, so the citizens are happier with their occupations and less fearful of losing their jobs (as well as less profit motive and wealth inequality in the society so that there is less fear from jobs lost due to automation or outsourcing);
- spiritual needs to connect with each other and a loving life force/Higher Power/God grounded in the reality of our finite, human existence on this tiny planet in an infinite universe – which in itself is truly a miracle (in physics, theology and science intersect) – rather than rigid adherence to religious dogma bordering on intolerance and hate
But perhaps the most powerful message the marchers delivered is against the suffocating, fear-driven mindset of isolationism and authoritarianism that Trump and extremist conservatives represent: "If it hasn’t happened to me, I don't care.'"
This arcane survival mindset has persisted from earliest human history, through the Ice Age, Middle Age, feudalism and colonial times.
What drives progressives and liberals is a more proactive view for the future: “This should never happen to anyone, and that's why I care.'”
A more caring, peaceful, safe world is one our collective ancestors around the globe have sought for millennia. And with today’s technology for instant communication anywhere in the world to share the collective information, resources and wisdom passed down from generation to generation – which our ancestors did not have, but which we now have today – we can more readily avert the manmade disasters, such as war, in ways our ancestors were incapable.
We are also finally on the cusp of manifesting the dreams they have always sought for all of us, their descendants.
That is, if only we can awaken more minds from their slumber – help them see what we all have common, help them heal … and perhaps to see a more healthy future.
