We march …
I was amused by Bob Johnson’s My Turn on Wednesday. He seems to think women can’t chew gum and march at the same time — or maybe he can’t and he projects that onto the marchers? And, by the way, there were also boyfriends, husbands, fathers, brothers and sons marching. The woman who started The Women’s March, Teresa Shook, gave an impassioned speech at this event and we gave her a standing ovation.
Many people who are participating in these events are also active in their community and testify at council meetings and to the state Legislature. We sign national petitions and give money to organizations who fight for women’s rights, voter rights, consumer rights, labor rights, civil rights, environmental justice, etc. We “grassroots” folks testified at the recent Leeward Planning Commission about the proposed county rezoning and SMA amendments at Anaehoomalu and we and several agencies prevailed!
Solidarity is unity (as of a group or class) which produces or is based on unities of interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one. It does feel good to be in the company of many people who are on the same page! It gives me hope.
Gail Jackson
Waikoloa
And march …
Rest easy, Mr. Bob Johnson, businessman, Hawaii women from the get-go have handled local matters with strength and dignity. Look to the great Hawaiian history with names like Queen Kaahumanu, to Queen Lili’uokalani, great strong women who took care of the business of creating this land from the get-go. I know my sisters of Hawaiian ancestry have so much more they can add to the glorious women of their history, and I hope they come forward to enlighten you, Mr. Businessman, on how the business of Hawaii has always been cared for by the strong women of Hawaii.
Today, three of the four Congressional senators and house representatives are women led by our most famous “immigrant,” the honorable Mazie Hirono, a brave and brilliant senator. She spent most of her public life looking after our “local politics.” If you think our group of strong, dedicated, female federal legislators can’t help us in Washington, take a look at all the TV reporters who seek out Ms. Hirono’s opinion on the evening news.
The unity created by the Women’s Marches throughout the world can’t be explained to men who write words such as I have read in your article, but we women know that time is near when our next woman presidential candidate will prevail, and in the meantime we will take care of local business, support our country to help our state, and march.
Barbara Love
Kailua-Kona
And march
Bob Johnson’s demeaning image of a woman who needs to be told on what issues to focus is laughable. That he presumes to tell women what they should or shouldn’t do is precisely one of the problems the march was designed to illuminate.
Women can raise a family, keep a home and work one or two jobs. They can, likewise, engage in local issues as well as national and international ones. Women have amazing muti-tasking abilities. So, when a guy tries to “man-splain” what women need to do, the majority of us take umbrage.
Perhaps Mr. Johnson’s time would be better spent finding solutions to the problems he raised.
Maureen Fagan
Kailua-Kona