Voting Rights

On this day 90 years ago, women won the right to vote in the U.S., when the 19th amendment became the law of the land. Since I know a lot of uppity women, it's hard for me to believe that our female ancestors put up with the nonsense as long as they did, but obviously they were much more patient than I am. It's also easy for me to wonder about their attitudes since I'm sitting pretty on this side of history.

I'm not the only one. Many, many women take the right to vote for granted. It may be lack of interest, but I hope you know the history of women's suffrage in this country.

Drawing depicts a hunger strike; from The Suffragette, 1909

Not only did it take eons before women won the legal right to vote in every state, many women were arrested when they marched, demonstrated or staged non-violent protests in favor of a woman's right to vote. While in jail, some women resorted to hunger strikes to protest their arrests, only to find they were often force-fed, a fairly horrific practice in the early 20th century. There weren't I-Vs then, so the practice involved running tubes up a woman's nose and pumping food into her stomach. Some women died as a result.

Given what these women endured just to earn the right to vote, we should pay them the respect of exercising that right. Do you know a woman who isn't registered to vote? You can do it online now. It's quick and it's easy, so you don't have an excuse. The second step is to study up on the candidates. Before most elections, local newspapers will print election guides telling you where candidates stand on a variety of issues. Finally, find out when election day is and VOTE! It doesn't take very long most of the time, and nowadays you may be able to vote early and avoid lines or send in a mail-in ballot and avoid lines altogether.

Happy Equality Day!