MARCH IS NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, INTENDED AS A TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE SOME OF THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN HAVE MADE TO OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY. IN 1920, THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS PASSED, GIVING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE AFTER A HARD- FOUGHT STRUGGLE DURING WHICH WOMEN WERE BEATEN, IMPRISONED AND SOME WERE KILLED. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WAS FORMED IMMEDIATELY AFTER, TO ENSURE THAT SUFFRAGETTES FELT CONFIDENT PARTICIPATING IN THE ELECTION PROCESS AS VOTERS.
THE LEAGUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN NON-PARTISAN. WE DO NOT SUPPORT ANY PARTY OR CANDIDATE. THAT SETS US APART FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND ADDS CREDIBILITY TO OUR WORK AS WE PRESENT FACTUAL INFORMATION WITHOUT SLANT OR PREJUDICE.
THE LEAGUE IS STILL IN THE JOB OF HELPING VOTERS BE BETTER INFORMED WHEN THEY GO TO THE POLLS. LOCALLY, THE LEAGUE PARTNERS WITH THE EMPORIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO CO-SPONSOR THE LEGISLATIVE DIALOGUES AND HAS HOSTED COMMUNITY FORUMS ON TIMELY TOPICS SUCH AS EDUCATION FUNDING AND FRACKING. NOT TO BE DISCRIMINATORY, ALTHOUGH THE ORGANIZATION’S ORIGINAL NAME REMAINS, WE WELCOME MEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE 16 AND OLDER.
THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS MENTIONED IN THE CONSTITUTION 5 TIMES, THE MOST OF ANY OTHER RIGHT, WHICH DEMONSTRATES HOW IMPORTANT THE AUTHORS FELT IT WAS FOR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. OUR MILITARY HAS FOUGHT AND LIFE BEEN LOST TO PROTECT THESE RIGHTS BUT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, TODAY THERE ARE ADULTS WHO RARELY, IF EVER, VOTE.
THE LEAGUE ADVOCATES AGAINST ANY POLICIES THAT THREATEN THE VALUE OF EACH VOTE. RE-DISTRICTING, DRAWING THE BOUNDARIES OF ELECTORAL DISTRICTS IN A WAY THAT GIVES ONE PARTY AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OVER ITS RIVALS, IS MENTIONED IN POLITICAL NEWS TODAY, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS “GERRYMANDERING”. DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS PRACTICE HAS BEEN A THING SINCE THE 19TH CENTURY? IN 1812, THE DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS IN MASSACHUSETTS CAME UP WITH AN IDEA OF HOW TO LIMIT THE FEDERALISTS’ POWER. THEY DREW UP A LAW THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO RE-DRAW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT LINES IN THEIR STATE, AND SHOVE ALL OF THE FEDERALIST VOTERS INTO A SMALL NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, ESSENTIALLY GUARANTEEING THAT THE FEDERALIST CANDIDATE WOULD WIN THOSE PARTICULAR DISTRICTS BUT NOT THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTE OVERALL. ELDRIDGE GERRY, GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS AT THE TIME, SIGNED THE PROPOSAL INTO LAW. A NEWSPAPER EDITOR MADE THE COMMENT THAT GOVERNOR GERRY’S OWN DISTRICT LOOKED LIKE A SALAMANDER. IN RESPONSE, THE EDITOR CAME UP WITH THE WORD ‘GERRYMANDER’ TO NAME THE SHAPE OF THE REIMAGINED BOUNDARIES OF THE POLITICAL DISTRICT.
WOMEN HAVEN’T STOPPED AT SIMPLY GAINING THE RIGHT TO VOTE, BUT HAVE NOW GONE ON TO BE CANDIDATES AND OFFICE HOLDERS THEMSELVES. THOSE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US WHO HAVE GIVEN THE ENERGY AND CONFIDENCE TO THIS CURRENT GENERATION OF YOUNG WOMEN DESERVE TO BE RECOGNIZED. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRING.
SO, IN HONOR OF WOMEN EVERYWHERE, THIS IS TERESA BRIGGS WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND THAT’S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
