By Jane Mattingly
“There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers.”
-Susan B. Anthony, (1820-1906), pioneer in the Women’s Suffrage Movement
If only Ms. Anthony, could see how far we’ve come.
Complete equality? Well, we’re still working on that one.
She might be pleased to learn that women have been electing lawmakers since 1920 when we were finally deemed worthy and intelligent enough (by some) to vote.
Now a female’s name will appear on the ballot and with the near-nomination of the famous pantsuit donning former First Lady and the VP-hopeful Alaskan hockey mom, there’s no question that this election is an enormous leap for American women.
November 4th is the day where those impersonal, sexless, race-less, square centimeter pencil marks mean everything to the future of American politics and are a vehicle for Americans to make their voices heard.
“We have to remember, not just as women, but as people that women were granted the right to vote in 1920,” said Nada Zakaria, a junior political science major. “We always have to keep that in mind and value those who fought for us and gave us that right.”
“This year is the most important year for women and men to vote,” said sophomore Spanish major Natalie Murphy.
Though Zakaria’s and Murphy’s political views slightly differ from one another’s, they agreed that voting is their duty as American citizens.
“It’s our way to make a difference, our imprint on the nation,” said Zakaria. “It’s our way to show that we [women] have power.”
We owe it to our sisters who spoke out against injustice and were shut down, shoved aside and even arrested for standing up for what they believed in.
“It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union,” said Susan B. Anthony.
