Cullowhee residents, from left, Margaret Cabanis-Wicht, Sarah Worley-Hill, Elizabeth Worley and Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin participated in the International Womenıs Day Code Pink Peace March in Washington, D.C., on March 8.
Elizabeth Worley and her daughter, Sarah Worley-Hill, along with Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin and her daughter, Margaret Cabanis-Wicht, traveled from Cullowhee to the International Women's Day Code Pink Peace March in Washington, D.C., on March 8. The four described the event and crowd of several thousand supporters as "high-spirited, peaceful, joyous, positive, energized, diverse, determined." Women from across the country united in protest against the war with Iraq ranged from little old ladies to mothers pushing baby strollers, the four said. Code Pink is a woman's peace movement that takes its name from the hospital code used by nurses when someone has abducted a baby, said Cabanis-Brewin. It was also named in response to President Bushıs "Code Red" Homeland Security terrorist alert system. "The most important point is that we went, that we could have stayed home feeling powerless and hopeless. But Jeannette and I have been social activists for many decades. We wanted our daughters to experience firsthand what it is like to put forth the effort to stand up for what you believe is right. Iıve heard protestors referred to as anti-war activitsts, peace protestors, etc. These terms don't apply. We see ourselves as American citizens, expressing our voice, as is our constitutional right," said Worley. "The grassroots movement seemed rather thin at Malcolm X Park when we arrived," said Cabanis-Brewin, "but by the time we flowed out onto 16th St. and headed south towards the White House, it seemed to have multiplied considerably. Not only that, but people joined the march all along its route, and many more did not even come to the park, but went directly to the White House and waited on that end." Along the route the Cullowhee women said they were greeted by crowds of cheering supporters. "At each intersection the stopped traffic blew their horns and waved peace signs at us, while other people hung out of windows in buildings lining the street, cheering and waving," Cabinas-Brewin said. "Even the people who were stopped and sitting in their cars on 16th, who might have had good reason to be peeved, seemed happy to be there. The sense of support for our position was overwhelming." "It was very interesting to me that while the D.C. cops stationed along the parade route were friendly and helpful, when we got close to the White House we were greeted by police in riot gear on horses and motorcycles," said Cabinas-Brewin. Women in their pink T-shirts joined hands and made a ring around the White House area, from H Street to the Mall, approximately 30-plus square city blocks. They chanted, "What does democracy look like? This is what democracy looks like." "Jeannette and I made it our mission to personally greet each member of the park and city police along the route, and the scarier SWAT team members surrounding the White House. Our greeting was, 'Thank you, sir, for protecting our constitutional right of peaceful assembly. We are grateful that you are supporting the Bill of Rights.ı The responses we received ranged from stony stares, to grins, to disbelief, to one guy saying, 'You're welcome. Make sure I get my raise!'" said Worley. |