KAILUA-KONA — Frustration.
Anger.
This is not OK.
Thousands thronged Kailua Village Sunday for the 2018 Women’s March for the second anniversary of a national movement that is blasting those messages and more because they detest the direction the White House is leading the country.
Everyone, many during Kona’s turnout said, is equal, and should be treated as such.
And as the group paraded from Alii Drive, up to Kuakini Highway, and circled back to Hale Halawai for the second rendition of the massive rally, it was a message that was hard not to hear.
Part-time Kona resident Jodie Draut, as she marched up Kuakini Highway, said ““It drives me insane,” how she feels the last year went for the United States.
“I’m terrified,” said Glory Quiggle, wearing a cardboard sign that said, “Resist.” “People are suffering, humanity is suffering.”
“It’s enough,” said Simon Hamilton, “to make me feel a lot of despair.”
But it’s a direction many in the crowd said they feel the country as a whole can change. They won’t, as illustrated by the nationwide march turnout itself, stand idly by. They’re taking heart that things will soon be different.
“It’s good to come out and meet like minds,” said Kau’i Losalio, of Kailua-Kona, who was carrying a sign that read, “Respect our voices, respect our choices,” and said she’s optimistic for the future. She said seeing the turnout gives her hope and pride. “I think our future will be better because we’re here.”
She said one of her biggest issues was with lawmakers dictating women’s reproductive rights through legislation. It’s a fundamental woman’s right to decide what she wants to do with a pregnancy, she said, and the fact that mostly men decide, through political back-and-forth, what avenues women are allowed is mind-boggling.
“It shouldn’t be a fight to begin with,” she said of the freedom to choose. “It should be given to us.”
Walking next to Losalio up the highway as passing cars honked support was Jessica Conner, carrying a sign that read, “Our children deserve better.”
She said one of her greater fears is the thought of the next generation growing up in a country where the current political division in the norm, a division she said makes her sad. But, she said, she’s optimistic things will change.
“I know that people are coming together to support something that’s so amazing,” she said. “People are speaking up instead of silence. Silence doesn’t help anyone.”
Signs were witty: “Pussycats grab back,” and serious, “This is what Hawaii looks like,” a nod to the diverse makeup of the crowd.
Trump has been a lightning rod of controversy in his first year of office, a once-upon-a-time businessman GOP dark-horse candidate who won the presidential election and has been active implementing change since — creating a tax reform and targeting the previous administration’s legislation such as Obamacare. But on Trump’s campaign trail, video aired where he said grabbing women in a sexually aggressive maner when one is rich is OK, and another where he mocked a disabled reporter. Recently he reportedly called some African countries shitholes.
Nationally, the Women’s March drew millions, as it did last year. Los Angeles had around 300,000, Chicago too, and New York City saw around 200,000 people take part. Hilo, which had its march Saturday, as most of the nation did, had around 2,000. Organizers locally weren’t sure on Sunday, but the crowd looked to be near what last year’s Kona turnout of 3,800.
“It makes me proud to live here,” Hamilton said of the numbers.
“Many great things came out of this year,” said Lulie Cottle, event organizer who spoke to the cheering crowd after the march, but articulated beforehand how much negativity she felt came from the White House during that same year. “Many people, especially women, found the courage to stand up and speak out.”
She said seeing such a turnout gives her hope that voters will change the country’s direction during the 2018 mid-term elections, a sentiment echoed by many there, including Teresa Shook, the Maui woman who, on Election Day 2016, took to Facebook as the returns came in for Trump and organized what became the Women’s March on Washington, D.C., as well as others across the nation.
She was at the Kona rally Sunday, as she was at Hilo’s the day before.
“Our work in 2018 is we’re going to march on the polls,” she told the crowd. “We’re going to bring our power to the polls and we’re going to flip Congress.”
All this winning is frightening!
Jobs and the economy
• Passage of the tax reform bill providing $5.5 billion in cuts and repealing the Obamacare mandate.
• Increase of the GDP above 3 percent.
• Creation of 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent.
• Saw the Dow Jones reach record highs.
• A rebound in economic confidence to a 17-year high.
• A new executive order to boost apprenticeships.
• A move to boost computer sciences in Education Department programs.
• Prioritizing women-owned businesses for some $500 million in SBA loans.
Killing job-stifling regulations
• Signed an Executive Order demanding that two regulations be killed for every new one creates. He beat that big and cut 16 rules and regulations for every one created, saving $8.1 billion.
• Signed 15 congressional regulatory cuts.
• Withdrew from the Obama-era Paris Climate Agreement, ending the threat of environmental regulations.
• Signed an Executive Order cutting the time for infrastructure permit approvals.
• Eliminated an Obama rule on streams that Trump felt unfairly targeted the coal industry.
Fair trade
• Made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for talks to better the deal for the U.S.
• Worked to bring companies back to the U.S., and companies like Toyota, Mazda, Broadcom Limited, and Foxconn announced plans to open U.S. plants.
• Worked to promote the sale of U.S products abroad.
• Made enforcement of U.S. trade laws, especially those that involve national security, a priority.
• Ended Obama’s deal with Cuba.
Boosting U.S. energy dominance
• The Department of Interior, which has led the way in cutting regulations, opened plans to lease 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling.
• Trump traveled the world to promote the sale and use of U.S. energy.
• Expanded energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline snubbed by Obama.
• Ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to kill Obama’s Clean Power Plan.
• EPA is reconsidering Obama rules on methane emissions.
Protecting the U.S. homeland
• Laid out new principles for reforming immigration and announced plan to end “chain migration,” which lets one legal immigrant to bring in dozens of family members.
• Made progress to build the border wall with Mexico.
• Ended the Obama-era “catch and release” of illegal immigrants.
• Boosted the arrests of illegals inside the U.S.
• Doubled the number of counties participating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged with deporting illegals.
• Removed 36 percent more criminal gang members than in fiscal 2016.
• Started the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program.
• Ditto for other amnesty programs like Deferred Action for Parents of Americans.
• Cracking down on some 300 sanctuary cities that defy ICE but still get federal dollars.
• Added some 100 new immigration judges.
Protecting communities
• Justice announced grants of $98 million to fund 802 new cops.
• Justice worked with Central American nations to arrest and charge 4,000 MS-13 members.
• Homeland rounded up nearly 800 MS-13 members, an 83 percent one-year increase.
• Signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations.
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions created new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes.
Accountability
• Trump has nominated 73 federal judges and won his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
• Ordered ethical standards including a lobbying ban.
• Called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch.
• Ordered an overhaul to modernize the digital government.
• Called for a full audit of the Pentagon and its spending.
Combatting opioids
• First, the president declared a Nationwide Public Health Emergency on opioids.
• His Council of Economic Advisors played a role in determining that overdoses are underreported by as much as 24 percent.
• The Department of Health and Human Services laid out a new five-point strategy to fight the crisis.
• Justice announced it was scheduling fentanyl substances as a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act.
• Justice started a fraud crackdown, arresting more than 400.
• The administration added $500 million to fight the crisis.
• On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 456 tons.
Protecting life
• In his first week, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that blocks some $9 billion in foreign aid being used for abortions.
• Worked with Congress on a bill overturning an Obama regulation that blocked states from defunding abortion providers.
• Published guidance to block Obamacare money from supporting abortion.
Helping veterans
• Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire failing employees and establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers.
• Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act.
• Signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to provide support.
• Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.
• Created a VA hotline.
• Had the VA launch an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with a way to access wait time and quality of care data.
• With VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, announced three initiatives to expand access to healthcare for veterans using telehealth technology.
Promoting peace through strength
• Directed the rebuilding of the military and ordered a new national strategy and nuclear posture review.
• Worked to increase defense spending.
• Empowered military leaders to “seize the initiative and win,” reducing the need for a White House sign off on every mission.
• Directed the revival of the National Space Council to develop space war strategies.
• Elevated U.S. Cyber Command into a major warfighting command.
• Withdrew from the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, which Trump saw as a threat to borders.
• Imposed a travel ban on nations that lack border and anti-terrorism security.
• Saw ISIS lose virtually all of its territory.
• Pushed for strong action against global outlaw North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons.
• Announced a new Afghanistan strategy that strengthens support for U.S. forces at war with terrorism.
• NATO increased support for the war in Afghanistan.
• Approved a new Iran strategy plan focused on neutralizing the country’s influence in the region.
• Ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack.
• Prevented subsequent chemical attacks by announcing a plan to detect them better and warned of future strikes if they were used.
• Ordered new sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela.
Restoring confidence in and respect for America
• Trump won the release of Americans held abroad, often using his personal relationships with world leaders.
• Made good on a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• Conducted a historic 12-day trip through Asia, winning new cooperative deals. On the trip, he attended three regional summits to promote American interests.
• He traveled to the Middle East and Europe to build new relationships with leaders.
• Traveled to Poland and on to German for the G-20 meeting where he pushed again for funding of women entrepreneurs.
Yes all this winning is exactly what all Trump supporters must be thinking!
…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/321fe4ab4b513511192bfbc8433d1bba6fd1ec7892e302c033e7234ead264c16.jpg
Now you get it!
Yes it is as a matter of fact.
Wow, that sure sounds scary for the liberal whiners.
So, the Massive Womyns managed a one block shuffle this time?
Too bad I missed it, had my sign:
1/21/2017
The end of an error
Printed up and ready to give them my opinion.
I agree , the reporter vastly over stated the numbers . To me it looked like a few 100 at most .
Tom Hasslinger West Hawaii Today thasslinger@westhawaiitoday.com – needs to be asked to account for how he came up with his numbers used to title this report . More Fake News right here in Kona . Who would have thought ?
these people , who not all women , are pathetic
they are also scofflaws – endangering drivers on the Queen K extension by the Morman temple , standing like dopes , on the roadway . Totally 100% inconsiderate dillies
One thing is for sure: Women are the future! Neither blacks, females, nor hispanics will stay away from the voting booth this coming November 🙂
Women act childlike and overly emotional when men are weak. It’s our fault. Find your pride men. Act like a man and they will remember what it means to be a woman.
Of course women should vote. Just please don’t vote for buffoons like these two.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/27646dd989990a4862d137cc5d720ef961f471bdad23908f1c52fe419bdda7dc.jpg
“Woman taken into custody after standoff in Hawi”.
Women have lost their minds.