Where Was Bush When 1 Million Women Marched?

On Sunday, April 25, one million people-perhaps the largest single demonstration in the history of this country-marched in Washington D.C. to protest attacks on women's reproductive rights. One million. That's how many people came. And how many other millions remained in how many hundreds of thousands of homes, enabling the marchers by taking care of houses, children, pets, jobs?

Why wasn't President Bush there? He should have been standing next to Whoopi Goldberg when she held up a two-cent wire coat hanger, yelling above the din of approval: This should not be the only option! Never again! Why didn't the president come outside to meet his constituency face-to-face? President Bush can neither represent nor serve people he won't even acknowledge, will not meet, and cannot hear. His absence, which can only be disdain for the public, is a disgrace.

Perhaps he thinks these one million people and the millions more who supported them were just another focus group, like the millions of people who marched and demonstrated against the invasion of Iraq.

Such dismissive neglect from the president is unconscionable. He ought to have stood in humility before one million people from every state in the union, representing every race and religion and more than 1,400 groups whose agendas include civil rights, healthcare, feminism, and the environment.

Any president, but particularly this president, must be obligated-if not by conscience and character, than by law-to face such an assembly.

Where was President Bush? Where were members of the Congress? Their absence is disgraceful. Shame on Bush. Shame on every Senator and Congressperson who did not demand his attendance, nor attend themselves. Shame on us for letting our democracy come to this, for letting the behavioral bar of our public servants be dropped into the sewer.

In November, I hope we care enough about ourselves and our country to elect a new president, one whose arrogance does not daily disgrace the most vital tenet of our democracy: of the people, by the people, for the people.

Robert Rabbin is a writer and speaker with a passion for radically engaged spiritual wisdom. He is the creator of TruthForPresident.org. For more information, visit http://www.robrabbin.com.

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