I hope you voted today.
I did. I feel like I have to, no matter how slim the odds of my vote making a difference. Why?
1.The Armed Forces- all branches. The people who fight & die to protect our country and allow us to use the rights we have. Too many members of my family (on both sides) have served for me to not appreciate the sacrifices made on our behalf. My beloved Uncle John was one of the original Montford Point Marines (more on that here) and served in both Korea & Vietnam.
2.The National American Womens Sufferage Association fought for women to have the right to vote, risking social ridicule and jail sentences to have their voices heard. Those women went through hell to see that I had the same rights and opportunities to vote as the men of our country did. Many tried to go on hunger strikes while in prison and were brutally force fed by guards. (The movie Iron Jawed Angels can be a bit hamfisted, but is a good example of what they did)
3. The American Civil Rights Movement. Again, many members of my family participated in this. They demanded the right to be treated equally, with all the rights and privileges that they deserved.
So there are my three reasons for voting no matter what. I realize that the right to vote also comes with the right to not vote. However, as a bi-racial woman in a country where political changes seem to occur almost daily, I feel it would be a slap in the face of those who came before me to not honor their sacrifices and use the vote they gave me.
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