They suffered that we might have the right: Go! Vote!

Miss [Lucy] Burns in
Occoquan Workhouse, Washington, Nov. 1917Women of Protest:
Photographs from the Records of the National Woman's Party

They endured disdain, derision, jail, force-feedings and beatings in their struggle to get the right to enter a voting booth on election day, our foremothers.It's easy to take that right for granted, especially when we don't like the choices on the ballot. Even moreso when we're disenchanted with corruption, lies, dirty tricks and abuses of power.

But that's not new. There was corruption, there were lies, and there were outrageous attempts to manipulate the populace throughout the 144 years US women sacrificed to win the opportunity to vote. Honor the women who suffered for us--their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Vote! It's one way we live consciously.



For a quick synopsis of the long struggle to achieve woman suffrage, go to How Women Won the Right to Vote.