Today, Equality Day, marks the 90th anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. A lot has changed in ninety years, but one fact remains more salient than most: women are a political force to be reckoned with in this country.
This is particularly true of unmarried women -- single, divorced, widowed or separated -- who make up one of the fastest growing demographics in the country and now comprise 25 percent of the eligible voting population -- that's almost 51 million women. While unmarried women turned out in record numbers in 2008, they are still underrepresented and under-registered. In 2008, of the nearly 51 million unmarried women who were eligible to register to vote, only 35 million did register. That means 16 million women who could have voted did not even register.
And those numbers are not expected to improve for the 2010 elections. In the past, on average only 40% of unmarried women voted in midterm elections, compared to almost 60% in the 2008 presidential election -- this means that come November, more than 30 million unmarried women who could be voting might not.
90 years ago, women from all walks of life fought hard to give a voice to the voiceless and ensure that there was room for more views at the political table. Today, we need to fight to make sure everyone who has a voice is using it and that those who can pull up a chair to that table are doing so. The stakes are too high to let millions of American women stay silent and sit this election out.
Women paid dearly for the right to vote. Alice Paul was beaten, imprisoned and brutally force-fed by her jailers for daring to demand American women should have the vote. But the courage and persistence of Paul and her fellow suffragettes paid off ninety years ago today with the certification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women their political equality. Today, even though women turnout at equal or great numbers than men on election day, more than one in four American women is still not registered to vote. If you're one of them, thank Alice Paul today by visiting Women's Voices. Women's Vote website and registering to vote.
If you are already registered, talk to five women you know about registering to vote. It's quick, it's free and it's important.
Stuart Whatley: This Side of Democracy
The rights and privilege belong to the citizen not 'we.' It is not our job to 'fight to make everyone' join our club. The rights and privilege are just as important to choose not to participate as to participate.
Only a very arrogant authoritarian person would make such a statement or advocate such a position. It is a statement that educated women can not make decisions for themselves. A view that over and over again is restated in many different ways. Especially, by self anointed representatives of women.
And still after ninety years, people are still trying to stop the women's rights movement! She would be proud!
as far a equal rights are concerned. But Alice Paul fought the awful discrimination against women
that was wrong since the founders spoke eloquent words that was only meant for white landed men.
Mike
Today we need the kind of unwavering determination that Paul carried with her to her death in 1977. We just need to understand, as she did, that things like Constitutional amendments don't happen overnight, and you can't give up if you don't get passage and ratification right away. You need to keep fighting, keep applying pressure sometimes for decades.
Excellent.
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White women, when compared to white men experience a much smaller gap than is presented.
White women, when compared to all men experience a much smaller gap than is presented.
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Women of color, when compared to white women still experience that pay gap...and more.
Women of color, when compared to white men experience and even greater gap...
Women of color, when compared to all whites (men and women alike) have much to struggle for...and it is imperative that we work reduce these phantom figures that have not produced the same level of financial liberation for women of color.
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http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=143125135726201&ref=mf
Kamala Lopez's ERA Launch Video put out by the Lopezistas. Share this video with everyone you know. Join the new movement to get the ERA finally passed. Go to http://www.lopezistas.com/ and sign up for our newsletter.
I think men are intemidated by strong women?
How they kept family together in a sod house, running farm on less than standard conditions, it amazes me and I think those women are heroic.
The male dominated society has been suppressing women for lord knows how many millennium and it is sad to say it continues to this day. Clearly, we are not the same physically or in our complex make-up but, when will women unify themselves to DEMAND equality?
I suggest starting with the beginning of the Declaration of Independence with some minor changes, maybe like this:
"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which has connected them to another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which The Laws of Nature entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to freedom.
We holds these truths to be self-evident that all women are equal to men, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, Equal Pay, and the pursuit of happiness."
Humankind has lost a woman Einstein, Da Vinci, or Galileo because of the suppression of women and most likely we would not have had so many wars.
Celebrate all you want but, there is more to be done!
Yes, a male wrote this.
That does not change the fact that women won recognition of the their fundamental right to suffrage.
Would you say the same thing about black suffrage for example? About the civil rights movement? I would not. I would say blacks won recognition of their inherent, their innate, human right and civil rights.
Governments protect rights.
Advances in civilization come I believe when the entire culture moves towards it. Women lived in that culture and influenced it and shaped it. Black slaves were visible in America and in the British colonies. Their presence and their strength in slavery and second class citizenship influenced and changed the culture. But if American and British men had not been receptive, as many cultures today are not receptive (Taliban maybe) then it would not have happened.
Women finally getting the right to vote may be a a great day for women but, it's somewhat embarrassing to me. In order for men to "give women a right to vote" also means men initially took that RIGHT away. If you logic hold true, white men should be very proud that "We freed the slave". Of course, we know that white men made them slaves!
Since you mention the pseudo-religious oppression, see more good stuff at the Religious Tolerance site: http://www.religioustolerance.org/femquote.htm
This is why Republicans attacked the League of Women Voters, because they registered voters.
Statement by National Organization for Women (NOW)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/08/26-3
Unratified States
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
Nevada
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Utah
Virginia
http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/states.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2aclDaE2ek&feature=player_embedded