The power of pink

A nerve has officially been struck. The election of Donald J. Trump, a.k.a ‘he who shall not be named’ in my household, has not only struck a nerve but has taken that nerve and ripped it out. And nothing symbolizes this discontent more than the pink pussyhat. Talk about galvanizing a cause.

Millions of women, men, kids and pets (yes, pets) will wear the pussyhat to the Women’s March on Washington today. No matter how goofy you may think the hats are, they scream solidarity, solidarity, solidarity against a way of behaving and the possibility of major civil rights changes that just cannot be ignored, nor tolerated.

The March on Washington has spawned nearly 700 “Sister” marches taking place simultaneously—there are marches in large cities like Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago; small cities like Des Moines, Providence and Hartford; in tiny hamlets like Tillamook, Oregon and Bluff, Utah. In fact, there are marches on every single continent, including marches in such far flung places as Antananarivo Madagascar and Neko Harbor on the Antarctic Peninsula. Now that’s what I call going viral.

And the pink pussyhat will be the accessory of choice. I love that we live in a country where politics and handcrafts can converge and overlap. People have been knitting and crocheting the hats like mad. So much so that pink yarn is in short supply. A headline on BBC.com reads “’Pussyhat’ knitters join long tradition of crafty activism”. The article explains, “Donald Trump is causing a yarn shortage in the United States, where many Americans just can’t get their hands on worsted fuchsia pink—because many of the world’s knitters are using it to protest against the incoming president.” I spent time in the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in New York City yesterday and over the course of 2 hours, the shop was abuzz with people (not just women) buying pink yarn to knit or crochet into pussyhats for the rally. The shop has been restocking all shades of pink for weeks. One woman said she had so much trouble finding pink yarn that she bought green instead and will go to the rally as Lady Liberty. My local craft store is out of pink yarn and the line at the Michael’s Craft Store in New York City was chock full of people buying whatever pink yarn they could get their hands on.

The election on November 8th has given rise to this perfect pink storm. The issues leading to the pink pussyhat uprising include:

• Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2.5 million votes.
• Had Hillary won, she would have been the 1^st woman to lead the United States.
• The victor is on record, time after time, degrading, insulting, harassing and objectifying women in vulgar terms.
• Our new president treats people exactly the opposite of how moms and dads across America teach their kids to treat others: with respect, kindness and tolerance.
• Issues facing women and families, including reproductive rights, LGBT rights and access to affordable healthcare, hang in the balance.

Millions around the world agree that DJT and his posse need to stop and pay attention on Saturday, January 21^st. Unfortunately we can’t un-elect him. So yes, he’s our 45^th president, and yes we have to unite as a country. But no, we don’t have to tolerate his unkind ways, his insulting remarks and his glib talk about supporting women’s issues. Chances are he won’t give the pink pussyhat rebellion a second thought. It’s likely that he won’t listen, care or even think the protest marches are against him. But if there is a God, someone will try to get through to him. Ivanka? Possibly. Melania? Doubtful. Pence? When hell freezes over. So we’re left with one option, one that our country is based on: peaceful protest.

Hopefully someone in the White House will sit up, look out the window today and pay attention to all the pink hats bobbing along Pennsylvania Avenue. Here’s an idea: after the march, we should all mail our pink pussyhats to DJT’s attention at the White House, signature required by addressee only. Maybe then he’ll pay attention. A girl can dream, right?

 

Send me pics of your pink pussyhats….mine’s almost done!