Today is Election Day here in the United States of America, it is one of my favorite days, no matter who wins, I love Election Day. The history of the vote in America is a controversial one, the founding fathers never meant for all the people to have the right to vote. They wanted only educated, land owners to have the right to decide the fate of the country.
In 1868 the 14th amendment states that all persons born or naturalized are citizens of the U.S. and the U.S. State where they reside. In 1870 the 15th amendment says you can vote no matter race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Finally all men could vote. Men. In 1920 the 19th amendment says on account of sex, finally women could vote.
I urge you all to go out and exercise your hard earned right to vote, our forbearers fought hard for us to have this right. We owe it to them to make an educated decision, to really learn about the issues, decide which course of action is best for our country and vote the way we feel is best. I am appalled at all of the uneducated voters, ones who don’t bother to read anything, to learn the issues. Won’t listen to a debate, nothing, seriously, why would you waste your vote? I was taught to research the issues, educate myself, to make an informed decision. My parents never tried to sway my vote one way or another, to this day; I don’t even know who they ever voted for. Except for my mom, in one election, her first in 1932, she only told me that in 1987.
All of my children are of voting age, two have taken advantage of early voting, Elizabeth and Alex, very proud of them. Jeffrey is like me, he votes on the day of, a traditionalist. I don’t tell them how to vote, I encourage them, like my parents encouraged me to educate themselves on the issues. I am proud to say they do, they are well educated humans, I am proud of the adults they are becoming.
So today, if you have not read anything, listened to anything, please take a moment, read an article, educate yourself before stepping into that booth. You owe it to the ones who fought for your right to be there.
One Person Making a Difference
The other day I was having a conversation with Elizabeth Anne, the topic turned to voting, as I steered it there. I told her I fully expected her to vote in the upcoming presidential election. She said, “mom, one person can’t make a difference” I said oh yes they can, a whole lot of one person voting can make a difference. I heard a sigh, felt the eye roll, along with the placating words of yes mom, ok mom, just to get me to shut up.
I want to tell everyone that one person can make a difference, shall we start with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, her Declaration of Sentiments, which she presented at the first women’s rights convention held in 1848, is said to be the instrument used to initiate the first organized woman’s rights and woman’s suffrage movements in the United States. One person making a difference so women in this country could vote, a right not afforded to them. Women at that time were thought of as property, first of their father’s and then of their husbands. They could be raped, beaten, discarded and even killed by the men in their lives and nothing was done about it.
Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton changed that, gave women voices, they could vote, they could keep their children when divorcing an abusive husband. It all changed because one woman stood up and said enough.
In this country I believe that women especially should vote, due to the fact that reason we can vote is because women endured imprisonment, beatings and some even died so we could go to a voting booth and make our voices heard.
I will be at that voting booth on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, I will make my voice heard, my choice known and I will remember why I have this right in the first place. One woman making a difference.
Angie World 