Women’s marches put Congress on notice

Criticism of the women’s marches seems to be focused on a perceived crying over spilled milk. In such a large group of protesters, we’re obviously going to find a wide range of differing viewpoints, but I think you’ll find that for the most part, the marchers weren’t there to contest the legitimacy of Trump’s election.

They were there to demonstrate that they’re paying attention to what he’s said and done, and that they’re not happy about it. They were serving notice, not just on a president who is unlikely to listen to them, but on the other elected officials in Washington who they are paying attention. And that when the next election comes, elected officials will have to answer for how they behave in the next two years.

The critics of the march need to ask not why these people were whining about losing an election, but why such a huge number of Americans were incensed enough to brave the cold and protest at the outset of this presidency. This was the largest protest in American history, and the message is clear: The people are watching. Defy them at your own risk.

This story was originally published January 30, 2017 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Women’s marches put Congress on notice."