Why Women Should Vote







I just received this email from a friend and I was just about to forward it to my contacts.. but I think is worth to be posted...                                                                                                                                          'This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago. The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the votes 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 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 gaping for air. They hurled Gloria Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate Alice Cosu tough Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, chocking, slamming, pinching, twisting and hitting the women. Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on November 15 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragist imprisoned in there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks the women only water came from an open pail, their food- all of it colorless slop- was infested with worms. When one of the leaders Alice Paul, embarked on a hungry 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. Woodrow Wilson tried to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized, 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'
What would those women think of the way we use or don't use our right to vote? All of us take it for granted now. Some women won't vote this year because - why, exactly? We have carpool duties?, we have to get to work?, It's raining?
HBO has released the movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.'  It is a graphic depiction of the battle this women waged so I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say . I'm ashamed to say I needed the reminder.
We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these courageous women. Wheter you vote democrat, republican or independent party, remember to vote. History is being made.
Read more...here.

Comments

nikkicrumpet said…
I am so glad you did this post....I had NO idea this even happened. Sheesh why don't they teach this in history classes. I was raised by parents who thought it was your duty to ALWAYS vote. I do no matter how inconvenient it might be at the time. I don't think I've missed a single election in the last 25 years. I certainly won't be missing this one. Thanks so much for reminding us why we should always take the time. GREAT POST!
Courtney said…
History is definitely being made this election Voting is so so important....and it gives you complaining rights. I get quite irked when people want to gripe about politics and actions, yet they didn't take the 20 minutes to go and vote. Great post!

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