The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
During this intense period in our country's history, when ugly voices of intolerance appear to be drowning out more tolerant ones, when cries against big, bad, federal government wash out reasoned debate and, even, history, we should all take a moment and remember the women who fought long and hard for the vote -- who fought against those who believed it was up to the STATES (ahem) to decide this issue -- who knew that it was only a federal government, made up of the people, by the people and for the people that could ensure this right. There's a lot of subtext there, but I'm going to be grateful, today, for the following women (and to Gretchen at Second Blooming for these terrific photos!). I also wonder if the divisive social issues of the day -- immigration reform, homosexual marriage, etc. -- will one day be relegated to history in the same way that we look on the time when women couldn't vote. What the heck? seems far more appropriate than well, we certainly kept them in their place, didn't we?
Lucretia Mott
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Susan B. Anthony
Carrie Chapman Catt
Lucy Burns
Dora Lewis
Alice Paul
Pauline Adams
Helena Hill Weed
Julia Ward Howe
Did the nurse come today?????????????
ReplyDeleteI want to hear that Sophie got her infusion.
I can't imagine what women before us had to go through so that we have what we do today. Thanks for sharing the photos.
And thank you for the beautiful comment on my HP post. You made my day! Hugs, xo
Ah yes, voting. I came to this country to teach College and somehow 40 years later I am still here. I became a citizen because I felt that I needed to vote in order to change what wasn't right - and there was plenty to go around then - or to be quiet but I have never been able to be quiet in the face of injustice. Only to see my vote denied by fraud and wondering every time I vote "what next?" Still, I vote and hope for change. Equality and equal rights for everyone? I am optimistic, I am not stupid.
ReplyDeleteHow is Sophie? The candles are burning bright here, I hope this is a good sign.
My candle is burning as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd those ladies- they WERE the candles who burned brightly and we should all cherish them as the heroes they were. And are.
Nice one, dear.
And AMEN.
ReplyDeleteIt's always the same, isn't it? The old boys club standing in the way of change?I was reading about the battle for the ERA back in the day, and it was the same old story. Argh.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see all those American heroines. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThese women were amazing, yet in my lifetime (I'm 54) I've finally seen it be against the law for a man to beat his wife. For a wife to legally keep her own paycheck. etc. etc. We still have so many groups wanting to set women back 90 years. I'm fighting now for our school system to quit putting out books that portray girls as playthings for boys. Losing that fight, big time.
ReplyDeleteGloria