By SHERRY DIGMON, SUSAN KIRK
I’ve purposely not written anything about national politics during this election. I don’t think that’s what a community newspaper is about. After all, you have plenty of outlets to feed you their view of the national scene – and for most, I do mean their view.
But I was really interested in the local reaction to the women’s march in Washington and other cities last weekend. So to find what women were saying, I went to Facebook.
The first posting I came across was one by Susan Kirk. She received overwhelming support for her post, but I was also interested to note that there was dialogue in some of the comments. Not hateful, spiteful dialogue, but an exchange of opinions. We could certainly use more of that.
Many thanks to Susan who granted us permission to reprint her words here:
“The purpose of the recent Women’s Rights March is somewhat bewildering to me. As a woman in the United States of America in the 21st century, what rights should I fight for that I do not already have afforded to me? Under our laws, I am protected by the very same rights as my husband and three sons. In fact, I have been afforded certain additional rights as a woman that they have not, such as freedom from being forced to register for the Selective Service by my 19th birthday.
“Are there idiots in this world who consider me unequal or “less than” because of my gender? Of course, there are. Does that mean that anyone who disagrees with my political, religious, or personal views feels that way? Of course not! If we are going to protest for the rights of women, let us fight for the real injustices in this world. There are women all over the globe who I am certain would gladly trade places with us … those who are not allowed to show their faces in public, who are beaten and killed if they are victims of rape, who are persecuted for their faith, who are not afforded the opportunity to gain the unbelievable independence that comes from earning a college degree and choosing a career that they love, who have had their children snatched from their homes or blown-up in the streets of a war-ridden country.
“I am so thankful that I was born in a country that protects my rights as a human being, regardless of my gender. I’m thankful for the right to have and express my opinion and to peacefully protest any injustice that I choose. I’m thankful for the freedom to make my own choices and have my voice count. I’m thankful for the 19th Amendment to our constitution that gave me and all women the right to vote and for the amazing men and women who fought for that right … AND I am also thankful that there are still parents who teach their young men to nod their heads and say, “Hello, ma’am” and hold the door open for me as I walk into the voting place.
“I’m proud to be a woman and I am proud to be an American. If we want to be respected, we must act respectable. Let us use our voices to unite and not to divide! Let us fight together the real injustices in this world and stop acting like entitled, spoiled children.”