One years ago the 19th amendment empowered women with the right to vote. 2020 so far been a memorable year; it will definitely be remembered for many negatives but there are some positives we need to embrace.
My grandmother was barely 22 years old when the 19th came about. The incumbent president at the time was Woodrow Wilson, a leader of the Progressive Movement; he was the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921).
Warren G. Harding, a Republican, who won by a landslide victory in 1920, taking every state outside the South and dominating the popular vote. He became the 29th president.
I wish she were here to tell me who she voted for at the time and if she actually did get to vote. My great-grandmother was never able to vote. She had passed by the time the 19th had been enforced.
Today, we the women of this great country do have the right to vote and it is so important that we do so on November 3, 2020. We must do everything in our power to get out there and exercise our right to vote and not be fearful. Our vote will count and will be counted fairly. We must believe that our elections will not be tampered with. Our doubts began with the knowledge that foreign entities may try to sway people one way or another via social media. Reliable security sources have made clear interference of that kind will not happen again. So we cannot allow fear, and misinformation to come from any source.
Of course, I may be a tad bias but I believe women are intelligent, forceful and determined to make the world right for their offspring and loved ones in general. You could not intimidate my mother or grandmother. They kept informed. They read fervently and spoke up when they knew something was dramatically wrong. I know that many women are made of the same stuff.
I watched Michelle Obama speak at the National Democratic (unconventional) Convention which was done virtually because of the pandemic we are all struggling with these days. She was eloquent as usual but also spoke from her non-political heart. I heard the sincerity of a mother and patriot who loves her country. It was a love like this that fueled the Suffrage Movement. As my grandmother would say they had “fuego” (fire) in their hearts and clarity in their minds.
We must honor those women by doing what needs to be done. I know I will honor my great grandmother and all those before her who could not voice their opinion or check off a ballot box.
There is too much at stake. There is too much to accomplish. We have come a long way but so much more needs to be done to get the job done better. It is up to us. Who else can do three jobs at once? Who else has the know how to read people and know what is best for their children? The answer is We the Women of these United States of America. God bless America!
I decided to look up information about the so called “Spanish Pandemic”. My mother was born in December of 1918. Therefore she was barely a month old when people all around the world were dying. It did not originate in Spain as the name suggests.
“Wartime censors in the UK, Germany, the United States and France, anxious not to lower morale, played down the numbers of victims. But there were no restrictions on reporting the figures for Spain, which had taken no part in the war. So the belief grew that seemingly badly hit Spain was the epicentre of the disease.”
Then I looked up the latest information from sources like the CDC, NHI, and the CDC. These are the data based and research based organizations that help to advise the authorities about the precautions that need to be taken and how the spread of a virus, flu or illness.
This is why we should all listen to the appropriate authorities.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is an acronym or an abbreviation as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans.
“Research indicates that children and adolescents are just as likely to become infected as any other age group and can spread the disease.” – WHO
“The 1918 pandemic came in three waves. During the first, in the early part of the year, deaths were relatively low. The second wave, which began in August, was much more serious, the virus having mutated to a considerably aggressive form and October was the deadliest month of the whole pandemic.”
So if right now our country is averaging 1000 deaths per day. We have 165,000 deaths thus far. If this trend continues, we can potentially end up with another 65.000 deaths by the time the election comes around.
For the record, I am truly concerned. However, we can make a difference right now. My mother used to say not to leave for tomorrow what you can do today. She also told me she was a strong woman because she lived through a pandemic, a horrible hurricane, an earthquake, the depression and was widowed twice. I do not think I want to have to go through all of that to be strong. God bless her soul. I wonder what she would advise me now. One thing is for sure she would advise me to stay informed and take every precaution. She would have done anything to keep us safe. She would not have listened to any nonsense and would make sure she said something when she heard it.
There are 82 days to check out the records. Facts are what we need to hear. The truth is what needs to be spoken.
How many times have you actually counted down the days to an important event. I can only think of childbirth. It seemed like the 9 months were eternal. This count down has been agonizing and exhausting. But at the end of these 85 days, we will hopefully be at peace again. Just like the due date for the birth of a child, you are so happy because in the end the wait was so worth it.
I think about zero hour all the time. I would say that it is almost an obsession of sorts. I made a list of all the things I visualize happening after the 2020 Election.
Here are my thoughts about this. Tell me what you think.
1. The media anchors will smile again. Have you seen their faces lately? They are so tired of being called fake news.
2. The wrinkles on my forehead will start to disappear.
3. Hopefully a presidential campaign will not be 4 years long again.
4. No one will have to count the lies.
5. We won’t hear phrases like:
A lot people think …
Very, very big… amazing…
No one has ever seen or done this before ….
If you look at ….
No more twitter rantings.
The swamp will finally be drained
Believe me
As you know, you know this,
You’ll find out
6. I will be able to feel safe again.
7. Hopefully congress will get to work for the people.
Let us keep our eyes on the prize. Our vote is the power we have right now. Stay safe my friends.
I wonder what will be the first line under the title:
The Year Was 2020 twenty years from now.
I remember reading history textbooks with similar reveals
and always wondered if all that was printed was real.
Today we do not know
what is fake or not
Forced to look under so much rot.
It is funny how certain quotes and headlines stick;
The following are some of my picks
past and present from Presidents,
headlines and ordinary people speaking out,
What in the world is this craziness about?
“Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
“A president’s hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
“‘My Twitter has become so powerful that I can actually make my enemies tell the truth.” – Guess who again.
“Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.” -George Bush
“Profits and Pride at Stake, the Race for a Vaccine Intensifies” – NYT
“Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a nationwide lockdown in the country after it had become the second-worst hit country by the virus besides China.” – The Insider
“In late February of 2020, The World Health Organization increased its risk assessment of the novel coronavirus to its highest level. ” Local paper
“March 24: The 2020 Summer Olympics, which were supposed to take place in Tokyo, are postponed until 2021.”
“News of Bryant’s death sent shockwaves across Los Angeles and around the world. ” All Newspapers
“Shortly after Iran launched an attack on US troops stationed at Iraqi military bases, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed in Tehran, Iran, on January 8, killing all 176 people on board.” NYT
“This is not a partisan debate; it is a human one. Clean air and water, and a livable climate are inalienable human rights. And solving this crisis is not a question of politics. It is our moral obligation.” — Leonardo DiCaprio
“Adults keep saying we owe it to the young people, to give them hope, but I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is.” –Greta Thunberg, 16 year-old Swedish Activist
We will remember so many things that happened in 2020 thus far.
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