THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 10, 1995 TAG: 9504100029
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
Someone here cried for Ruby White yesterday. And for Nichole Capps.
``If their husbands hadn't killed them, maybe they could have been here,'' said Patricia Merritt of Richmond as a tear rolled down her cheek. ``Someone has to be here for them so they wouldn't have died in vain.''
Like thousands of others, Merritt made the trek to Washington on Sunday to join the national Rally for Women's Lives.
Women, children and men spread across the Mall to protest what has been called ``the war against women'' - proposed welfare cuts, strikes against affirmative action, anti-abortion violence, and a societal disregard toward domestic abuse.
The rally was the first of its kind. In 1977, 4,000 people marched to Washington in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, and in 1986, 50,000 rallied in support of abortion rights. But Sunday's gathering, organized by the National Organization for Women and endorsed by more than 700 groups, was unprecedented.
The U.S. Park Police, using helicopters, counted 50,000 people at the rally. NOW President Patricia Ireland estimated the crowd, which covered the easternmost quarter of the Mall, at 200,000.
``I wish you could see what I've been looking at,'' said one speaker, actress Sharon Gless of the old ``Cagney and Lacey'' television show. ``I'm looking at thousands and thousands of beautiful, compassionate men and women . honor to be included.''
Donna Digati and Maureen Aguiar of Virginia Beach drove to Washington that morning, part of a contingent of at least two dozen women from Hampton Roads.
``I'm here today because I want to help dramatize this,'' said Digati. ``Violence against women is almost sanctioned,'' she said, referring to penalties that are less for a man who attacks his wife than for a man who attacks a stranger.
Aguiar said she attended to support NOW in alerting the federal government that ``we won't stand for turning back the clock.''
Female rapper Salt, of the Grammy-award-winning group Salt 'N Pepa, addressed the criticism rap music has received for denigrating women. ``As a female, anyone who knows my music, and knows our music, knows we cater to women. Women are standing up for themselves, they're not buying into stereotypes. As a mom, a record label owner and a writer, I've gone beyond what I was supposed to go beyond. But I want women to know to not depend on anyone else, but to go for yours.''
Sunday's rally was a day of joy and pain. Participants bore signs reading ``Neuter Newt,'' and danced to the music of Toad the Wet Sprocket.
A few women stripped to their bras, and some went topless in the warm sun. ``It's hot out here,'' said one topless woman, who wore a gold ring in her right nipple. ``If men can take off their shirts, why can't women.''
Women from the Older Women's League stood underneath a 20-foot female puppet - with one breast missing - to call attention to a study released last week that showed too many unnecessary mastectomies are performed.
One end of the Mall was festooned with more than 6,000 T-shirts, part of the nationwide ``Clothesline Project.'' The shirts, decorated with blood, crayons and ink, represent the victims of rape, murder, battering, child abuse and other violence against women.
Lisa Petry of Virginia Beach cried as she pointed to a tiny, lace-trimmed T-shirt that didn't look big enough to cover a small doll. Above the shirt were the words, ``He molested me when I was this small.''
``It's just so sad,'' Petry said, ``all of this collectively is just so many, it's just so sad.'' MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this story.
ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Staff photos
Sy Ingoglia of New York dances to music Sunday near the Capitol
during the first national Rally for Women's Lives. ``We won't stand
for turning back the clock,'' said one local participant, Maureen
Aguiar of Virginia Beach.
FOR HELP
Local shelters that can help victims of domestic abuse:
Norfolk: YWCA - 625-5570.
Portsmouth: H.E.R. (Help and Emergency Response), 393-9449.
Virginia Beach: Samaritan House, 430-2120.
Smithfield: The Genieve Shelter, (800) 969-4673.
Eastern Shore: Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 787-1329.
Hampton-Newport News: Peninsula Council on Domestic Violence,
723-7774.
Williamsburg: Avalon Center for Women and Children, 258-5051.
The Virginia Family Violence Hotline: (800) 838-8238 (Virginians
Against Domestic Violence).
MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Staff
More than 6,000 T-shirts, in the national ``Clothesline Project,''
were part of Sunday's rally. The shirts, decorated with blood,
crayons and ink, represent the victims of violence against women.
by CNB