Be sure to cast your vote Nov. 2
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Historically speaking, one hundred years isn’t a very long time. It was even less than that, 90 years ago, when American women gained the right to vote. The year was 1920 and it had taken women’s suffrage proponents more than 70 years to win the battle.
It’s difficult to imagine in today’s society such inequality among the sexes. Not only can women vote, they are doctors, business owners, professional athletes, police officers and politicians. Women today work in a whole host of professional occupations previously held only by men.
Gaining the right to vote was no easy task. Suffragists protested, petitioned and practiced civil disobedience in their quest. They were ridiculed, labeled as immoral, imprisoned, even tortured for their efforts, but thanks to their persistence and dedication, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified Aug. 18, 1920.
The 19th Amendment reads, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
I wonder how many of us take for granted this civil right and responsibility.
If suffragist leaders of the mid 19th century could see us today, would they be proud of their younger sisters’ voting habits?
I know how busy life can be. Balancing work and family life can be extremely challenging in our fast-paced culture. Sometimes it seems there’s just not enough time to do all we want or need to do.
But taking the time to vote is a worthwhile use of our time. Do it to set a positive example for children. Do it for yourself. It only takes a matter of minutes.
An argument I’ve heard from several people is that they just don’t know enough about the issues to feel they would be making an informed decision.
At the risk of sounding harsh, that’s a lame excuse. Take the time to become informed about candidates and issues. There are several candidate forums open to the public. It would be a worthwhile trade to sacrifice a night of reality television for a live debate between local candidates for office.
Without public participation, government by the people, for the people, is nothing more than hollow rhetoric.
Let’s make the suffragists of yesterday proud of today’s voters. Take the time to participate. Get out and vote Nov. 2.
