September 30, 2020 – West Bend, WI – Just … When …
… it seems I have seen it all, here comes an article from cousin, Becky, titled, “We Must Vote.”
Like me, Becky lives in a retirement community. Unlike me, Becky lives in Chicago. In a prior life, we lived there, too. When asked where I’m from, I say, “Chicago.”
Becky’s retirement community, The Clare, is located in the high-rent end of North Michigan Avenue in The Loop. Monthly, The Clare publishes articles written by residents.
Her article, “We Must Vote,” is spot on. As Becky points out in her article, “Voting is our most important civic duty.”
She goes on to remind me that “ … people died so we would have the right to vote.” We’ve been working on the right to vote for a very long time.
When the Pilgrim fathers and mothers arrived here 400 years ago, women were sorely lacking in basic human rights.
Women could not vote in 1620; they, also, could not speak in church, own property apart from their husbands, could not even gather socially. Fortunately, a few women and even a few men saw things differently.
Having read their Geneva Bibles, which, by the way, predates the King James Version of the Bible (which dates from 1611), some were convinced that all are equally valued and loved by God, that all are equally entitled to the blessings and gifts of God.
One who feels this way is Anne Hutchinson (1590 – 1643). Another is her father, an Anglican pastor. He often said things publicly that made Puritans nervous, especially when he talked about equal rights for women and human rights in general. For his trouble, he knew well the inside of a jail cell.
Puritans have their virtues, but tolerance is not one of them, nor respect for the rights of women, but that doesn’t stop Anne Hutchinson. Anne arrived in Massachusetts in 1634, along with her husband and many children.
Because women are not allowed to speak in church or gather, Anne invites women to her home to discuss the nature of God, the rights of women, and ways to end discrimination and inequality.
When church officials find out about these meetings, Anne is tossed out of the church … and eventually out of New England. But that doesn’t stop her either!
She moves her family to Long Island where she does missionary work among the poor.
Though banished from New England, she is not forgotten. Later on, a statue is dedicated in her honor at the entrance to the Massachusetts State House, showing Anne holding a Bible in one hand and a child in the other.
In spite of Anne’s trail-breaking work and the work of so many others, 100 years ago, women still couldn’t vote! To win that privilege, many took to the streets. Perhaps you have seen those pictures.
Finally, on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, granting women the right to vote.
This comes closer to home when I realize that women still couldn’t vote in 1915 when my mom was born. And it really comes closer to home when I relive the events of “Bloody Sunday.”
“Bloody Sunday” took place on March 7, 1965, in Selma, Alabama. On that day, peaceful demonstrators attempt to cross a bridge. The late Congressman, The Hon. John Lewis, led that march.
As we now know, John Lewis had a way of generating “good trouble.” The “good trouble” of that moment was to call attention to the Constitutional right of African-Americans to vote. Voter suppression among people of color was widespread in those days.
Their intent is to take their “good trouble” to the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. A wall of Alabama state troopers thought otherwise.
On television that day, people around the country saw the blood of John Lewis and so many others who were turned back by those troopers. Almost immediately, Dr. King issued an invitation for people of concern to show up in Selma and join the march for voter rights.
In many respects, the events of March 7, 1965, proved to be a turning point for the Civil Rights Movement.
Later on that same year, on August 6, 1965, essentially 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, a Voting Rights Act is passed by Congress and signed into law by President Johnson.
This legislation removes legal barriers at state and local levels that prevent African-Americans from exercising their Constitutional right to vote. But it doesn’t stop there.
Additional legislation, a second Voter Rights Act, is passed ten years later, prohibiting discrimination in voting practices on the basis of race and color.
Hopefully, this will help us appreciate the hard-fought history of the right to vote in this country, a right won through the occasional shedding of blood.
In light of this history, how could anyone refuse to exercise this right?
I may be preaching to the choir on this one, but I’m not taking any chances. There may be a few out there who have concluded, “They’re all a bunch of crooks. I’m not going to bother.”
If you find yourself thinking along those lines, I urge you to think it up again!
As it turns out, there are 3 ways to cast your ballot: by absentee ballot; by voting early; and by voting on Election Day. All things considered, my wife and I have decided to vote by absentee ballot this time around.
Not long ago, we requested an absentee ballot. That ballot arrived in our mail box right on schedule. We filled it out, signed it, had it witnessed, stuffed it back in the envelope … and hand-delivered it to our Township office.
Please understand: anyone can vote in this way. You do not need an “excuse” nor a “reason” to vote by absentee ballot.
But, if that does not float your boat, you may want to vote early. Here in the Town of West Bend, voters have the option of going to their polling place October 20 – 22 or October 26 – 28, picking up a ballot and voting then and there. Case closed.
Those are our early voting dates. I’m not exactly sure when your polling place will be open. You may have to call your County Clerk to find out.
And, of course, if neither of these 2 options appeals, you can always get up bright and early November 3, slap on your mask and vote in-person at your polling place.
From what I’ve heard and been told, every precaution has been taken to assure that this election will be conducted with integrity. By choosing one of these 3 options, we can be assured that this election will be fair and free of fraud.
Our votes will be counted!
It took a while for women to have the right to vote in civic elections, but eventually that right was won. We dare not take that right for granted!
Stephen J. Davidson
West Bend
Please also note:
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