Part of the #HERvotes blog carnival.
Originally published at Get Off My Soapbox.
All the single ladies!
Also, all the married ladies, all the divorced ladies, all the ladies in a committed and long term relationship: We’re coming up on that time of the election cycle again. To borrow the words of fellow lady voter Ani DiFranco:
Perhaps you’re sick of the political system. I get that. It’s all too easy to see it as a system riddled with corruption, fueled by the coffers of special interests that never seem to have your interests at heart. The bipartisan bickering, the heated rhetoric, the fact that Congress has an approval rating so low it’s closer to the margin of error than it is to the hearts of its constituents. So why bother? What does it really do except make you late for work on Tuesday?
As it happens, a lot. Especially for women. Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of the some of the freedoms won by women (and men), via our political experiment that is democracy, that are now under attack by our state and federal lawmakers. Perhaps you’ve heard of them.
Sure, the system is far from perfect. The process of lawmaking is slow, sleazy and cumbersome; and the deepest pockets still buy the loudest speakers. But it’s better than a system where your vote actually doesn’t count, or one where you don’t even get the luxury of choosing whether or not to vote. Remember those Iraqis and Afghans who voted a few years back? They literally risked their lives to get to the polls, and still voted in numbers greater than we did in 2008, when the weather was nice and we were reportedly excited about our future. And no one had to worry about getting killed while simply standing in line and exercising her right to be heard.
So, really, what do you have to lose? Except for your fundamental freedoms and a little time off your day? Do it! Do it for Alice Paul and Lucy Stone, who fought so hard for our right to do it at all. Do it for all the women worldwide who would gladly take your place in line if they only had the chance.
