Let's Hear it for the 19th!!!

No, I am not talking a date.... I am talking about an amendment. Did you know that the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote? That means that it took 18 prior amendments for men to decide that we were equal enough to have an opinion. Sad, right? What's even sadder is that it happened in 1920. Meaning that our country was around for 144 years (the math should be right, I used a calculator) without women having a say in government or laws. That is staggering to me. What is even more staggering is that we have had the right to vote for 88 years, and according to Parents magazine, only 55% of women between the ages of 25 to 55 did so in 2004.

I will come out and admit that I am a democrat most of the time (I say most of the time, because in the Indiana gubernatorial race, our democrat option is a wee bit scary). I am a big Barack Obama fan, and whats more, I am even more anti Sarah Palin. I think John McCain is a great man, but my personal views lean more toward the Obama/Biden ticket, so that's where my vote is headed. But, this blog is not about my personal views. I don't care if you say yay Obama or yay McCain or say that Sarah Palin is God's gift to the human race.... just say something. SAY SOMETHING! By age 18 we are granted a right to help decide how our country is going to be run. I have never met a soul who didn't complain about issues this country has, but I have met tons who freely admit they never exercised their right to choose what to do about them. What sense does that make?

I am a woman and a mother, and I feel like this race in particular affects those categories more than ever. I want my children's children to breathe clean air and walk outside without their flesh burning, so I care about the environment. I want my grandchildren to have social security so they can retire and play with my great grandchildren and not work themselves to death. I care about gas prices because I want a new car and I want to be able to afford to drive it somewhere. I care about Roe V. Wade because while I don't believe that is a choice I could make, I deeply believe that women have the right to decide that on their own. I care about the war and future wars because some day that could be my sons fighting it. I believe in creating an affordable health care program for every man, woman and child in this country, because the search for good health should be the most fundamental human right we have. It should not be for the rich alone. And, I want family to mean something in the work place. I want flexibility for men and women to be with their families when they need to be without sacrificing their employment to do so. And, I care about our economy, because it is our job to create a world for our children that is better than the one that we live in. My guess is that most of you care about that stuff as well, and while I certainly don't know how to fix it, one major step is electing the person that you think can. Go to http://www.barackobama.com/ and http://www.johnmccain.com/ (their official campaign websites) and decide who you think has a better plan for fixing the issues that you care about.

Just remember, if you don't vote, don't complain later. And more importantly, the worst thing you can do for yourself and your children.... is nothing.