Votes for Women

Today is election day, and a very important election takes place for me. I am a Virginia resident, and am voted for the Governor, Sheriff, Attorney-General, and a few others this morning.

I am very passionate about voting, especially as a woman. It has been less than 100 years since women have gotten the right to vote. My great-grandmother Blanch Ipock could not vote when she turned 21. By the time she died she could vote, and she voted in every election that she could. My mother was taught that women should vote in every election by her grandmother, and mother, and now she taught me and all of my sisters.

Women suffered to gain this right. They were persecuted, put in prison, and insulted. They were portrayed as emasculating, poor mothers, and crass. All that these women wanted was equality. And, you know what, feminists are described like this today. They are portrayed as man-hating lesbians. That is not universally true. Feminists just want all humans to be equal. Okay, rant over.

So, all women who have an election today, go out and vote, even if you don't know the politics and have to write someone in, even if you don't want to take the time, vote, if just because your grandmother, great-grandmother, or whatever, knew a time when women were not equal. Vote because your daughters (which may not yet exist), or nieces need to be taught of the hardships that women suffered in order to gain what we take for granted today.

For good measure and a little bit of fun, take this quiz too. And watch this video.