[bette]

WHY WOMEN MUST VOTE

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed
nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking
for the vote.

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 the 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 gasping
for air.
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her
head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate,
Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack.
Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging,
beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917,
when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his
guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because
they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right
to vote.
For weeks, the women's 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 hunger 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.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because-
-why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work?
Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so
hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

[FreebieMama]

Already sent for my mail-in ballot! Thanks for the reminder, Bette!

[bette]

bumping!

[rainydays]

Yes!

[Susuz]

So important, and remember to vote early! I always do that here and the lines are no so long, you can pick the day as it goes on for a couple of weeks.

So, I don't care what your politics are, who you are for (or against) JUST VOTE!

[NoahsMomma]

remember to vote..your vote does count.....

[CARRIEMB2]

We ALL MUST vote!!

[patchmeifyoudare]

as a new US citizen,I can't wait to vote...

[bette]

How exciting! Your first election!!

[applerama]

yes! thank you! women fought soo hard to obtain that right, the least we can do now is exericse it!

[shopperlite]

It's our right and obligation as American citizens to vote - women and men (as long as you're not a convicted felon or dead).

[patchmeifyoudare]

Originally Posted by bette

How exciting! Your first election!!

it is exciting...before,I didn't get into politics at all,because I couldn't do anything to change a thing,I couln't vote.
this year,it is different..

I can't understand people who are able to vote and won't do it..