A Seattle Nurse International Women’s Day Speech

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My name is Sarah White, I’m a nurse, I’m a socialist, and I’m mad as hell about what Trump and the Republicans want to do with women’s  rights and our health care! 

We will unite against sexism, against Trump, against the billionaire class and we will fight back!

Are you with me?

I want to thank Terri for speaking about reproductive rights. Our sisters in the ’60s had to fight hard for these gains and they won by building their own independent mass movement and massive protests. These gains were not handed down to us. In fact, they were won against a right-wing Nixon presidency and a conservative Supreme Court – because women stood up for these rights. 

The civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, and the women’s movement mobilized for the needs of ALL working people. Our sisters and brothers then didn’t limit their demands to what was acceptable to the billionaire class and their establishment politicians. And that’s how we will win!

  • We’ll stop the funding cuts to Planned Parenthood! We will stop the restrictions on abortion rights or access!
  • We fight for Medicare for all, for a single-payer health care  to make health care affordable to all women and the LGBTQ community!
  • We fight to make the billionaires and corporations pay for guaranteed high-quality child care, paid family leave, and universal single-payer health care. Tax the rich!
  • We fight for a society based on solidarity and cooperation. We will end sexism, racisim, poverty, and oppression

100 years ago, the women in Russia rose up to fight for democracy and socialism on March 8. And our fight continues today, 100 years later. This world is still dominated by corporate greed and a capitalist system that fails the 99%. We need a democratic socialist society to guarantee every women full reproductive rights, to guarantee every woman a life of dignity, free from  oppression and exploitation.

On Monday, Donald Trump and the Republicans fired the most recent shots in the war against women and the poor. Millions would be kicked out of health care. And we say “NO!” 

  • Trump’s plan would defund Planned Parenthood – we say, “NO”!
  • It would mostly eliminate insurance coverage for abortions – and we say, “NO”!
  • Maternity coverage would become optional and likely extremely expensive – and we say “NO”!

These measures are deadly for women and we all know that’s true. This is essentially a $600 billion tax cut for the rich. 

But here’s the thing, Trump and the right wing can be defeated! 

To stop Trump and the right wing, we need a new mass women’s movement! And we can build it!

To stop Trump and the billionaire class, we need bold demands to mobilize and encourage people! Free health care, a livable minimum wage of $15 an hour, free education – if we fight, we can win!

To stop corporate greed, to fight Trump, we need a new party that stands 100% on the side of workers – a new mass socialist party!

Let’s get organized in our fight back! Let’s build together for a day of protests and strikes on May Day! We’ll be back on the streets and in the resistance!

Now say it with me:

We are ready to fight,

Health care is a woman’s right!

Thank you!

Sarah White is a Nurse and member of Socialist Alternative in Seattle