Once every four years our nation reaffirms a privilege,
every citizen naturalized or native, starting at eighteen, has the inalienable right to vote.
We should be proud, respectful and in awe of this right.
Less than a hundred years ago,
over one half of the population were repressed, disenfranchised, with no voice to be heard
or to speak up in their name
or the right to speak up for themselves.
Women, African-Americans,
the landless marched for this right,
against the promise of violence or even death.
With courage, they march , arms locked,
against attacks of fire hoses, attack dogs,
billy clubs and arrests by those with the injunction to uphold the laws of the land.
With rocks, stones, clubs made from what was at hand, guns and lynchings by those who wanted the status quo.
Still they marched, Women of all races,
African-Americans, Latin-Americans,
those who could not read or write,
arm in arm they marched down main streets,
highways, across bridges,
while serving their Country in times of war and peace. They had the right to die for their Country,
but not to vote in the same Country.
This very same rights, that were fought,
bled and died for. This very same privilege that people in other Countries do not have,
is discarded, considered as too much trouble,
ignored or disregarded. By those unconcerned, indifferent, disinterested and uninterested in their right.
Every time you, in your callous apathy choose not to vote, you invalidate those sacrifices of those who fought and died for that right.
If you do not vote, you lose the right to complain, because you gave up that right in your apathy.
Even a write in vote is better than not voting.
Stand up and vote.
Make your voice heard and count.
A privilege not used,
soon gets taken away.
In a list
A contest entry
- vent it out 2! by Lsh-x.
300 points, ended August 29, 2008, 28 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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well said
I even voted absentee from Canada!!
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ah, to vote - the silent voice; the voice never heard; the voice collected in a blue or red pot and divied by an Electoral College (who gets their degree there?); the voice of hushed people who still ignorantly believe their vote means something and their voice is heard.
Bless those who marched, fought tooth and nail for what they believe, and shame on us for not voting when they worked so hard for all of us to cast one apiece. Here's to Montana - Home of the Bone Combers! ~ EZB
www.moodgroove.com
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Merry meet,
Thank you for your support of my work with your applause and the time you took to comment. I have an, almost militant belief in the right to vote. This election year has really brought my belief in this right out.
Thank you again.
Amythest -
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i just wished there were somebody worthy of voting for...i can't remember the last time i voted for a non-fictional person...
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"while serving their Country in times of war and peace. They HAD THE RIGHT TO DIE for their Country,
BUT NOT TO VOTE in the same Country."
•-here you've just pointed out the hypocrisy of the nation, at least of that time. This is something that most people overlook even when it is being brought to attention, some how most people glaze over it as if it were just passing wind.
♦I am so happy you brought this up. Even now we see some form of hypocrisy to the nation. Fighting for the freedom of another nation (Iraq) while taking control of it, doesn't make sense, even with all the excuses being passed to media. And there are other matters of hypocrisy; this is seen throughout the world in other countries. I think when this is considered, the issue is clearly much larger than voting rights in one nation.
Even now Blacks and women are being prejudiced against in some way (skin and/or gender based). 'Most men' make more money than women for the same jobs; more whites are hired for fine jobs than are people of color.
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"Every time you, in your callous apathy choose
not to vote, you invalidate those sacrifices of
those who fought and died for that right."
I am happy to see that the freedom was granted because when the right was granted, hardship was lifted from us to a great extent. See how much we are able to do now? All these freedoms are taken for granted. no one even considers that in the past people were suffering such horrible injustices simply because they were not white or because they were women.
-There was/is so much hypocrisy in the United States, right?
Considering that you pointed out the hypocrisy of America's past actions and considering that it still possesses hypocrisy towards us as people of darker skin and as women, it is hard for me to understand why we would want to vote for imperfect persons that may have prejudices against us even now. Instead, it makes more sense to fight for a better government, one that will never prejudice against people because of skin and gender.
I think and strongly believe that some people don't vote because it would be against their conscience.
This was nice to read.
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Merry meet,
Thank you for your applause and for your kind comments. This subject has been "festering" within for the last two elections. I have a hard time listening to people complain about (insert whichever public offical) when they did not even bother to vote. I have tried to instill what a singular opportunity we as women, have in the right to vote.
Amythest
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very strong points!
thankyou for sharing.
Good luck, and well done.
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