by Jeanne Gehret
by Jeanne Gehret
If you are one of the millions of Americans who has decided not to vote this year, please think again. Being an admirer of suffrage advocates Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, I support voting as a right to be cherished, even if you think the selections on the ballot are not optimum.
This is not a sneaky plug for one candidate or the other but a plea to support the American voting system (whether you think it’s flawed or not) that so many of our forbears have sacrificed so much to achieve.
Need information about candidates? Type “2016 ballot sample” into your internet browser and enter your address. You will receive a complete listing of national, state, and local candidates and can read about them at leisure. Don’t lose sight of those people seeking election for state and local posts because someday they may be running for the higher-profile offices.
You can also get candidate information from the League of Women Voters at http://www.vote411.org/. Click here for their interesting summary of how voter turnout counteracts the millions of dollars spent trying to swing elections.
My travels last month afforded me the opportunity to hear sobering perspectives on our 2016 presidential election from both Canadians and Mexicans. Then I visited the Women’s Rights National Historical Park to reflect on the beginnings of the universal suffrage movement in the U.S.
These photos that I took there show some of the pioneers who staked their reputations, personal safety, and resources on getting the vote. The first group of inspiring statues depicts Elizabeth Cady Stanton holding the umbrella while standing next to (very tall) Frederick Douglass. The next photo shows James and Lucretia Mott who, with Douglass and Stanton, were some of the original signers of the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments that kicked off the women’s movement in Seneca Falls, NY.
Voting is like a muscle. You have to exercise it to stay healthy. So go out and do it!
Brain teaser: why was Susan B not represented among the bronze statues at Seneca Falls?
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