Early Voting

I have been torn as to whether or not I wanted to vote early. Everyone wants me to; Obama, Biden, Colorado Gov. Ritter, Denver Mayor Hickenlooper, all my House District and Senate District folks, my boss....

Seems that the only person who doesnt care if I vote at all is John McCain. November 8th is probably a good day for me to head to the polls in his mind.

So after debating and thinking and cursing and hand wringing (you underestimate how much I like voting eh?) I have finally decided to vote tomorrow morning at my local library. I am not really that excited about it because I love to participate on November 4th. Voting early feels like a cheat. However, with such a huge ballot and the stupidity of people (i had a bad day), it only makes sense to do it sooner rather then later. I will take notes and report if something interesting happens though I think it will go smoothly.

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One week from tonight (cross your fingers) we will have a new president. Crazy to think about. I know that myself and others around me are looking forward to the cessation of campaigning. Here in CO we are bombarded by ads, fliers, phone calls, emails etc. A break would be nice.

However, if you find yourself getting buried under it all and maybe you start thinking, "I'm not voting this year" let me share something with you that hopefully will inspire you to get your ass to a poll.

In 1917, before women were granted the right to vote, members of the newly formed National Women's Party began picketing outside the White House and Capitol as part of a campaign to obtain a federal constitutional amendment guaranteeing universal suffrage. In late June, woman were being arrested. At first, they were released without penalty. When the picketing didnt stop police began holding the women overnight, processing them, and then releasing them. Still the picketing continued. The women were charged fines, held for three days when they refused to pay and then released. The picketing continued. Finally, on July 14th, sixteen women were arrested and sentenced to sixty days in Occoquan Workhouse. The conditions at Occoquan were called abysmal and it was here that the "Night of Terror" took place.

"Forty-four club-wielding men beat, kicked, dragged and choked their charges, which included at least one 73-year-old woman. Women were lifted into the air and flung to the ground. One was stabbed between the eyes with the broken staff of her banner. Lucy Burns was handcuffed to the bars of her cell in a torturous position. Women were dragged by guards twisting their arms and hurled into concrete cells.

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."

Less than two weeks later, a court-ordered hearing exposed the beaten women to the world and the judge agreed they had been terrorized for nothing more than exercising their constitutional right to protest.

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After learning about what women went though just to be able
to vote, dont you feel a little ashamed that you didnt vote because, "it was too hard" or "the lines were too long." Wouldnt these women kick our asses for being so goddamn lazy? For taking the right to vote for granted?

Please do those ladies a solid and vote...early if you must.


~apple pies and baseball games~ Bird