The first action one needs to take in order to march somewhere is to stand up. This is the crux of my reason for marching on Saturday the 21st of January. I’ll be standing up in New York City on that day, visible in my values and invisibly connected to all marchers everywhere.
Standing up can be a risky business; someone may not like it. They may seek to subdue my energy in some way. But what I am standing up for is so important to me that it transcends fear.
I stand up for the value and dignity of all human beings. I stand up to declare my concern for the suffering on this planet and to push for the deployment of our vast resources to serve the good of all beings. I stand up without accepting the zero-sum philosophy of scarcity and “every man for himself.” I stand up without judging and blaming, and other subtle forms of violence. I stand up to oppose our hurting each other, to protect those who are being hurt, and to put the brakes on our tendency to destroy ourselves.
I stand up to encourage the use of investigation and clarity, to ask, “are you sure?” when stories swirl around that could foment hatred. I stand up to insist on diligence and honesty from those who purport to be our public servants.
I stand up with the knowledge that I am not standing alone and confident in the power of our collective energy.
Participating in this march is, for me, both a concrete action and a symbolic step. Doing this, I resuscitate a sense of purpose, agency and hope; I shed the tired, tight-fitting cloak of defeat and powerlessness, the remnants of our surreal election season. The march inaugurates a new season, one characterized by the hard work of engagement. This new season needs all of us, whether we march and carry a banner or not.
