13 Years Old and Taking Part in the Women's March

Amanda Weissman of Pacifica will be writing blogs for KQED about her inauguration 2017 experience and tweeting from her mom's account. Read her first blog post.

We’re living in a time when it’s vitally important that mothers and daughters connect.

Although I’m only 13, as soon as my mother suggested we go to the Women’s March on Washington, I said yes -- not only because this march will be historic but because of who she is for me. My mother is my best friend. She has always modeled independence, courage and strength. She inspires me, persuades me to do stuff I’ve been afraid of, and still continues to teach me the difference between right and wrong. So far, the greatest lesson I have learned from her is that the negative things people say don’t define who I am.

I’m about to become part of American history. I’m so extremely excited to go out and march. I’m going to get to meet new independent women and hear their opinions and ideas about what’s going on in the world.

I’m also terribly thrilled because this will be my first rally and it’s going to be enormous. It’ll probably be the most vast crowd of people I’ll ever see in my lifetime (about 200,000 women are coming), and I simply cannot wait.

I’m a bit nervous, too. I come from the bubble of safety called San Francisco, so this will also be the first time I might witness strong negativity. My mother and I have made a promise that we won’t confront anyone protesting the march. We’re going to enjoy ourselves, make our statement, and not bother with anyone who wants to put us down.

I’ve come to this march to support my friends, myself and the people who unfortunately cannot come. I’m also here for the experience, the history and the strength that won’t only be coming from us but from hundreds of thousands of other women as well.

I believe it’s important to march because we can’t sit around expecting other people to act for us. If everyone did that there would be no march, no historic event and no big step for our country.

If the women in 1920 who fought to vote decided not to go through the effort, it would’ve taken America much longer to enfranchise women. If they hadn’t rallied and protested, I don’t think we’d be where we are today.

I have a feeling this march will probably be the most empowering moment I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. From this event, I’m really hoping to have new ideas and become more open-minded.

I’ve seen online that people are calling the women participating in the rally sore losers and pathetic. The purpose of the march is to represent women as a whole and demonstrate how we demand and deserve to be treated. We will show people that it’s going to be men and women in partnership who are going to create our future, not just one gender or one group.

It’s also very important for Millennials (ages 22-37), Generation Zs (ages 7-21) and Gen Alphas (ages 1-6) to march, because one day the country will fall into our hands and we need to teach our children the rights we all deserve. It’s especially important for these three generations to march, because we’re going to have to inspire the ones coming afterwards.

This country will continue to have daughters, and it’s our mission to create a society where women of all ages would be proud to live.

A century from now, they’ll be teaching kids my age about the women who rallied in Washington, D.C.,and inspired people to do the same all around the country. Your children and friends will have daughters who will also have daughters. With aching fingers I ask you this: Do you want your daughters to grow up with the same problems that have hindered women since this country’s birth?