BY: MARY WILSON
Opinions Editor
I get it — voting is a hassle. Taking time out of a packed schedule, finding childcare, getting time off work,
arranging transportation, and going to a polling place to press a few buttons on a screen is inconvenient; but voting is one of the most important things we can do as citizens of the United States of America. Citizens of the United States of America.
Women have had the right to vote for only 100 years. The 19th Amendment, which guarantees all American women the right to vote, was ratified on August 18, 1920. Literacy tests designed to stop African Americans from voting weren’t abolished until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, only 52 years ago. Those who vote are given a voice in deciding how local, state and national governments are run. Everything from school boards to who is elected President are decided by voting. In the 2016 elections, only 55% of eligible voters cast a vote — the lowest turnout since 1996.
If more people were aware of issues, they would vote. Many don’t know that, in Missouri, employers can legally fire people who are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities. LGBTQ people can also be denied housing and public accommodations. It is still legal in 2018. I like to think most people would say being a member of the LGBTQ community is not a reason to be fired or to be unable to find a place to live.
Voting is a question of being motivated by the issues. Ensuring access to safe, legal abortion, putting limits on a woman’s right to choose, or outlawing it altogether may be a motivator. Some are enraged by the fact that the U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world where mass shootings happen regularly. NRA and Union members often find valid reason to vote one way or another. Some believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. One thing many college students can agree on is that tuition is too high, and many people are angry at the allegations against Russia colluding with the 2016 Presidential election? No matter where you are on the political spectrum, voting is vital. Remember that failure to vote is not an act of rebellion. It’s an act of surrender.
