History of the Woman's Fight to Vote

My dear sister-n-law, Michele, sent this to me. I have no idea who wrote it but it is all true and every woman in the USA had better wake up and read this! I had never heard of any of this when I was in high school or even in college. Its very interesting. Women, out there, regardless of where you stand politically you are blessed to live here in the USA and you need to get out and VOTE on Nov. 4th.

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A HISTORY LESSON NOT TAUGHT IN SCHOOL THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU. NOT MANY ALIVE TODAY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THEN.HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET.....IF ....WE EVER KNEW...... WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago. nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote. Remember, it was not until 1920that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed .

(Lucy Burns)

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.' They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

(Dora Lewis)

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

(Alice Paul)

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.


http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf


So, refresh my memory.
Some women won't vote this year because ~ why, exactly?

We have carpool duties?

We have to get to work?

Our vote doesn't matter?

It's raining?


Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder. All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote.
Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient. My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was - with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather.

I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order. It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized.


And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men:

'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'


Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote. History is being made.


Read more:


http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/tactics.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/brftime3.html

Shout Out!

Today I just want to send a shout out to two awesome posts by my blogging friends, Deanna Shrodes over at Lifetime Intimate Portrait and Tara Sloan over at Destiny Driven. Both of these women hit on the subject about Senator Mc Cain's pick for VP, Governor Sara Palin of Alaska. Honestly I think McCain chose a great running mate and what she and Hillary Clinton has done for the future of women is awesome! I don't think I could add anything else to these two posts so go check out these two posts! I am sure you will agree with me that they are awesome! If you disagree let me know.

Politics

I cannot claim to be all that political. I do the best research I know how of the candidates and issues and I make sure to vote! It's an American thing to do. It's something our soldiers fight for, our freedom to vote and for other freedoms as well. I am truly grateful for the men and women who are serving our country! THANK YOU!



I want to encourage you to read my husband, Sean's, blog The Observers Desk. Today's post is very insightful. I have never known Sean to be misquote the truth about anything. He was a newspaper reporter for over 25 years so he knows how the media can spin an article. I have found that Sean has been a writer of upper most integrity and has reported the truth about what he was reporting about. Please take the time to read his blog. He is a gifted writer and very intelligent. I am sure he would love to receive comments and I am positive that he would take the time to respond to your comments as well.



Be aware of how you vote for and or may vote for for president. I believe it is our duty and right to vote! It is also our duty to be aware of the candidates and make wise choices. To be honest I do not like any of the three running. But I still have to pray and ask God to shed His light on the darkness and help me make the right choice.



Go Check out The Observers Desk!