Do You Vote?

We recently had a special election in our district to replace our Congressman who had fallen from grace. Politicians falling from grace seems to be a bit too common in these times, but that is a post for another day. "Mudslinging" is not a new part of politics, it just seems to be more invasive these days. We see commercial after commercial on television where one candidate says this about the other party's candidate and then it is "right back atcha" thirty seconds later. Our mailboxes are filled with flyers, and now even our voicemail is full of automated messages from organizations wanting us to see the issues their way. It is annoying, and unfortunately it has turned many a citizen away from voting all together. This saddens me deeply as both a citizen of the United States and as a woman.

We take much for granted in the United States.I am not pointing fingers here, I do it constantly.One thing though that I have tried not to forget is that as a member of a democratic society it is a privilege to have the opportunity to choose who will represent me in government. And as a woman that privilege was fought for with much more difficulty. Women's liberation is full of conundrums. As a thirty-something woman I felt guilty for years that I didn't agree with all I heard said and done within the women's movement. I am engaged in my own study of the Women's Rights Movement right now, simultaneously studying the early movement, particularly Susan B Anthony, and also the movement of the 1960's. What I have learned thus far is that there was not one all encompassing movement that fit every woman's personal beliefs and desires perfectly. There was often dissension in the ranks, which makes sense; God gave us all our own personalities and gifts. But as time goes by, history seems to get lumped together. Learning this has made me feel better about my views already.

So back to voting. Do I believe that my vote makes a difference or that a particular government official can make a difference. Not all the time I'm afraid, I am a little jaded. But we have this beautiful right to speak out, and when enough of us do, I believe change happens. When I say that a women had no right to vote in most state prior to 1920, that may not even mean much to you looking at today's political atmosphere. But when I say in general, a woman could not own property, had no recourse if her husband left with her children, could not keep money she may have earned or inherited, then the right to vote for women and all the changes that came about because of it seems more substantial. The world was not perfect way back when, husband's were not always kind and gentle willing to take care of their wife's every need. A woman had no defense against any wrong doings against her. The right to vote is that important.

It may be difficult and time consuming to find the issues. It may be discouraging to see how people act in the limelight. But I encourage you to keep at it, vote, because it is a hard won privilege. Vote because even if we don't see all the changes we wish to see, those who vote do have the opportunity to have a say. We honor those with the foresight to know that we as women citizens would have better opportunities if we had a voice in our democratic process.