My Mother's Birthday and Voting

On January 7, 1917, a tiny bundle of  female joy named
 Ernesteen Frances Shumaker
  was born to an United States in which women had no right to vote.  This baby was my mother.

 

It was not until the ratification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution in 1920 that women were given the right to vote in a Federal election in the USA.  If you choose to research these facts you will find that there were many years of hard fought battles for women to gain this privilege.

 

It takes my breath away when I say, "If my mother were living today, she would be 95 years old."  Ninety five? Are you kiddin' me? Women didn't have the right to vote until she was 3 years of age.

 

Women have had this privilege to exercise the freedom of opinion and cast a vote for a candidate whom they feel best represents their values, for 92 years.  THAT'S ALL. Just 92 years.  As I ponder these facts it reinforces in my mind how quickly time passes and how the causes that we feel passionately about can take deep roots and effect generations right on down the line so to speak. 

 

I cast my ballot on October 31, 2012 because early voting is available in our state.  As I went through the line I asked the people manning the poll stations, what controls they had in place for voter fraud and how the ballots were secured and counted.  When I finally took my place in the voting booth I was overcome with a weighty sense of responsibility and awesome freedom that is mine.  I can do this, this very thing called voting.  If the people who had gone before me and my mother had not been passionate about THEIR rights then THIS right might never have been mine.

 

And so I VOTED.  Prayerfully I VOTED. 

 

May I always be faithful to the freedoms that I believe are the right of EVERY American...Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

 

Embrace the day.  Embrace the future.

Rachel