Letter writer: Marchers expect more balance from government

[In regard to the letter, “Women’s Marches Lack Mature Focus,” Feb. 1, Xpress:] Is our script tired? I would offer instead that we are still working toward balance as people of every generation before us have done and that the movie simply isn’t over when you want it to be. It sounds more like you are tired of our voices. As I occasionally have to tell my children — too bad. [The] letter suggests that because Western women have made strides toward fairness that we should now be satisfied enough and comply with your wishes.

Were the souls of Asheville “Spellbound”? They were certainly interested. Involved. Active. They have concerns about their health care, their safety, their legal rights, their land and their future. A likely reason a conservative, white gentlemen such as [the letter writer] does not feel the impulse to disrupt [his] life to call attention to injustice is because [he has] a president who represents your interests.

If, for example, someday you find yourself on the receiving end of incessant street harassment and your friends are also tired of it, I encourage you to protest. So do the Founding Fathers. It is the most direct path to change. Wouldn’t you agree?

I am privileged. My parents brought me to America when I was a year old. That privilege has afforded me an education which led to compassion and perspective. Compassion and perspective teach that being privileged should not be a signal to become complacent toward others in pain. It means we are able to work more effectively for those who do not have the resources. That is what we have chosen to do with our opportunities.

As for language and the hats: Who should we call for instructions as to how [the letter writer] would like to see it all go down. T-shirts and dance-offs?Umbrellas? Magic tricks? Traditionally, people complaining about people protesting have had little to do with the flair and design of the event in advance. If you are interested in that sort of thing, you should get involved on the front end of the organizing next time.

Also, traditionally, people curse when they are angry. However, I saw no pouting of any kind.

[The letter writer] claims maturity. I am also mature. A grown-up with a job, a mortgage, a family — the works. So let me offer you some clarity. While you suggest that we focus on building a future that finds us “fed, sheltered, employed, secure and free,” that is precisely what protests do. They focus attention on the fact that many women in this country do not feel secure; they are not paid properly for their work; they are finding it hard to feed their families; and the government is openly threatening to make it damn near impossible to control the size of those families.

Protest is fundamental to America. It got your attention, didn’t it? Even if it’s only to know that women are expecting some more balance from their government. You do not get to decide what women want. Especially when the things they are asking for are so obvious any child could understand it. Do you have Internet access? Google some stuff.

[The] letter was simply an childish echo of the current administration’s mood on women’s issues. So, no. I’m not going to support them.

— Nicole Diamantis
Weaverville