Shirley MacFarland
Guest columnist Shirley Wesley MacFarland is a community columnist for the Sun News and cleveland.com. She has been an advertising/marketing executive for 40 years and owned her own advertising agency, Shick & Wesley, for nearly 20 years. She is also a non-denominational minister offering weddings and other life ceremonies through divineloveceremonies.com.
When I heard there was going to be a Women’s March in Cleveland I knew I had to be there. I could not remain silent like so many of my generation who are taking a “let’s wait and see attitude” toward the new administration. I have been fighting for women’s rights for over 40 years and I find it shocking and absurd that the new administration could take away what ground we have gained.
I spoke to many women of all ages – younger and older than me. Their specific interests
may have been somewhat different but the main message was the same. We are women, we are intelligent, we are strong and we won’t be bullied. We will fight for equality in jobs and compensation. We will fight to marry whom we choose. We will fight for the right to choose our gender. We will fight for the right to choose abortion if that is what is best for our body and spirit. We will fight for the rights of those oppressed and needing a helping hand. We will fight for the right of religious freedom. And we won’t back down.
I spoke to women who have been sexually assaulted, abused and harassed in the workplace as I have been. It is very sad to note that not nearly enough has changed in 40 years. Trump’s sexist remarks and the ET tape brought back all the memories of those six times that I was assaulted/abused, memories I thought I had so successfully repressed. That’s why I was marching – to let men and women know that this cannot be tolerated in the workplace or anywhere. And that’s why Trump will never be my president. I cannot and will not accept a president who lacks the very basic qualities of human decency. I will pray every day that he and the administration will work for the highest and best of our country. But he – the sexist, bigoted, racist man- I know he will never change.
This march was not just about women’s rights; it was about the rights for ALL people. And from what I could see at the march, that was pretty much the attitude of all. A diverse group of women, men and children were there to say to the new administration that we will not go backwards and our voices will be heard. And we are not going away.
Did the march accomplish anything? You bet it did. Women of the world, not just here in America, united to let the administration and the rest of the world know we do have rights and we do have choices. By acting out the first amendment we have told the new administration we will be carefully watching everything they do and we will take action on our convictions.
For me, I will continue to stand for oneness, love and harmony. I will take hope and solace in what I know to be true and right. And I will not be silent.
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