Letter writer: Women’s March was full of meaning

Graphic by Lori Deaton

Carl Mumpower wrote a letter to the Mountain Xpress about the Women’s March [“Women’s Marches Lack Mature Focus,” Feb. 1]. My first response to Carl’s angry letter was anger. Of course. The ego always speaks first. Dr. King’s words lent me a hand. “An eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.”

My activist friend Nancye, who heads a mixed political group that raises money for disadvantaged women, had called in early December to tell me about the pink hats that Carl ridiculed. “Come by and get some yarn,” she said. My Colorado friend Cathy, a paragon of generosity and decency, a lifelong Republican from a Republican family, the mother of two daughters, was so appalled at Trump’s comments about grabbing women that she crocheted 50 hats. Neither Nancye nor Cathy could march. This was a way they could support the protest.

Three friends and I went to [Washington] D.C. together. One of us four wore a pink fleece hat she’d sewn, and she brought another to give away. The other three of us declined to wear a hat. We three weren’t fond of the very word Trump used that inspired the pink hats. Not that we minded anyone else wearing them. We understood and respected the choices of others. The pink hats made a great look to the march. They were fun to see. But I can understand Carl’s negative reaction.

I saw very few of the “profanity-laden” signs that Carl highlighted. The signs were one of the best parts of the day. The vast majority were humorous or meaningful, or both, and to me embodied the human desire to create that goes all the way back. I thought of those out-of-this-world cave paintings when I saw all the signs.

I made a sign and thought about the wording for weeks. “Sisterhood-Brotherhood-Solidarity-Kindness” was the final version, rimmed with “Kindness-Kindness-Kindness…” in a colorful border. It was a small, busy sign, and I was happy with it.

On the crowded Metro ride out of the city after the March, a black man, standing and looking as tired and happy as I felt, carried his large white sign down at his side. In the center of the sign, in neat black block letters, was written, “Power without love is reckless and abusive. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice.” Underneath were the initials “MLK.”

“That’s a great sign,” I said.

He smiled. “My son, who is 26, told me how to do it. He’s an artist. He told me, ‘You don’t want it too busy.'” We both laughed. That was one moment out of a day full of wonderful, loving, human moments. Peace be with us all.

— Anne Bevilacqua
Waynesville

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57 thoughts on “Letter writer: Women’s March was full of meaning

  1. Peter Robbins

    The best thing about the Women’s March was its timeliness. Coming as it did on January 21, the march helped bind the nation’s wounds and bring us together after we had all just endured that agonizing, directionless, tortured, divisive, accusation-laden and demoralizing inauguration speech.

    • Huhsure

      You mean the First Lady who recoils at the touch of her husband? That First Lady?

      But on another subject, he had a yuge turnout! 9000 (mostly) whole people! Incredible! One for the record books.

      • Huhsure

        He had nearly as many people as we had in Pack Square the day after the inauguration. Impressive feat for such a tiny-fisted demagogue.

          • Huhsure

            You seem obsessed with Asheville, Tex. But thanks for trying to make it all about me.

          • Peter Robbins

            Still trying to think of something to say, Mr. Peck? You can stop thinking now.

          • Although you provide an excellent model, I’ll decline. You, of course, must do as you wish, Mr. Robbins.

            I appreciate you assiduously digging around for a comment of mine to decorate, which is your singular talent. You know I wish you only good health and just luck in these pages.

          • Peter Robbins

            I’m pleased that you feel your comments have been well treated by me. Drop these pages by any time.

          • Yes, indeed. You hardly fail in your zeal to find a stray comment of mine, however remote, and leave it unspoiled. I can imagine how time-consuming it must be for you, Mr. Robbins, but I do understand the attraction.

          • Peter Robbins

            And, seriously, you don’t need to inventory my talents all the time. Nobody cares. What matters is that people understand that even though I may kid from time to time, I don’t think ill of you and I don’t want them to think ill of you, either. It’s time to put divisive rhetoric in the past and march, as it were, toward a brighter future.

          • “you don’t need to inventory my talents all the time. ”

            My dear boy, that inventory has been exhausted. As I highlighted moments ago.

          • Peter Robbins

            One doesn’t need to dig for your comments, Mr. Peck. As all other readers of local publications must know, they’re ubiquitous as dirt.

          • I’m happy to make your unflagging searches the more easy. I may put together an index so you won’t, perchance, miss one.

          • Peter Robbins

            Start with your comments in the Asheville Citizen-Times. I blocked them long ago because I found them belligerent and tacky. (That blocking feature, alas, does not appear to be available at this publication.) Had I known you were counting on my decorative talent, however, I might have persevered in the public interest. Sorry to disappoint.

      • Snowflake (Social Justice Worrier)

        Well that’s encouraging to read that a Trumpphobe recognizes that his supporters are (mostly) whole, and not deranged nutcases who would do something crazy like walk around in public dressed as vaginas and cats.

    • Peter Robbins

      Afterwards, they had a lovely luncheon at Mar-a-Lago, where gold-star members and above got to play nuclear-code bingo. The game is really fun, though it gets a little rowdy with all the drinks you have to take.

      • Huhsure

        Also, while a 5 drink minimum isn’t technically mandatory, you need at least 5 drinks just to quell the self-loathing.

      • Peter Robbins

        I thought the “inspirational moment” to which you referred was the First Lady’s speech at the Trump rally in Florida for which you previously expressed a teenage groupie’s admiration. If you were inspired by the Women’s March, good for you. There’s hope yet.

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