Women and their supporters are marching again.

One year ago our nation’s largest-ever march occurred across the nation, from the largest cities to small towns. It was remarkable in many ways, including the fact that no known arrests were made. Women, children and men marched peacefully as a protest to the inauguration of Donald Trump one day earlier. The posters that marchers carried expressed many concerns, hopes, fears and resolutions. Some posters were funny, some were passionate and angry and some included risqué puns using the president’s own words.

The march was notable for its inclusiveness. This was a march for everyone where all issues and concerns were welcomed. However, there was one dark cloud over the event. Besides the positive sense of welcome and the marchers’ shared need to be active rather than passive, one unifying and underlying motive was the despair that a man who had bragged about groping women was now our president.

Over the past year our president’s approval rating has stayed mostly below 40 percent. The marchers’ concerns have proven valid, but now more are added. DACA is imperiled, the CHIP program has not been renewed, Medicaid is being weakened, Medicare and Social Security are next and public education is underfunded. The president told us the alt-right was morally equivalent to civil rights activists. Bellicose statements about other countries make international relations more fraught. African nations and Haiti are described in disparaging and vulgar terms.

But people have responded to these threats to our well-being and national identity. For instance, more women than ever before are running for office. The #MeToo movement has revealed systemic sexism. A legal fund has been established to help low-income women subjected to sexual harassment at work. Town hall meetings are drawing large crowds. 

This year’s second anniversary Women’s March is scheduled for Jan. 20 and it reflects our willingness to continue to speak out. In Des Moines, the site is the State Capitol from noon to 2 p.m. Once again, this is an ecumenical occasion. All are welcome to join a march whose shared premise is that in America we want all people to thrive, to have access to education, health care, a job and a chance to grow and be safe.