« Fabio. Yes, Fabio! | Main | Paultards on Parade »
November 28, 2007
Illegal Voting
On November 28, 1872, a U.S. deputy marshall came to Susan B. Anthony's door and arrested her. The crime: on November 5, 1872, Susan B. Anthony cast her vote in the Presidential Elections. The charge: Illegal voting.
The Fourteenth Amendment, adopted in 1868, had declared that all people born in the United States were citizens and that no legal privileges could be denied to any citizen. Anthony decided to challenge this amendment. Saying that women were citizens and the amendment did not restrict the privilege of voting to men, she registered to vote in Rochester, New York, on November 1, 1872. Four days later, she and fifteen other women voted in the presidential election. All sixteen women were arrested, but only Anthony was brought before a court.
Her trial, United States v. Susan B. Anthony, began on June 17, 1873. The presiding judge opposed women's suffrage and wrote his decision before the trial even had started. Refusing to let Anthony testify, he ordered the jury to find her guilty, then sentenced her to pay a $100 fine. She refused to pay "a dollar of your unjust penalty," and no further action was taken against her.
Anthony spent the next fifty-plus years of her life fighting for the right to vote. She would work tirelessly: giving speeches, petitioning Congress and state legislatures, publishing a feminist newspaper--all for a cause that would not succeed until the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment fourteen years after her death in 1906.
-----
The right to vote.
On November 7, 2006, I voted a straight Republican ticket, despite my misgivings about the direction the Republican party has taken, despite the fact that it has abandoned every one of the conservative values that are the core of my political agenda. I cast my vote based on one issue, the War on Terrorism, despite the fact that I have seen this administration make concessions to and negotiate with terrorists. I did this because anything is better than the cut and run appeasement policy that the democrats stand for. I cast my vote for people who want to do things I am dead set against, such as pro-amnesty Charlie Crist, who, thanks to my vote, is now Governor of my state.
I was not alone in this and although I shared their feelings, I was horrified at the number of conservatives, and the number of republicans, who stayed home. None of the democrat wins were really big wins, races were decided by a few thousand votes, but in the end, it was a big win, and they won, because we stayed home. If you think your one vote doesn't matter, look at the numbers on the Webb/Steele race.
And now, I watch President George Bush fawn over the leader of the most active terrorist group in the world, all a flutter on the chance to reward them for their constant and continuous terror attacks with a state of their own, mapping out an appeasement strategy, even while their minions were busy killing innocents in Israel.
Either the entire world has gone crazy, or I have.
And now I'm supposed to believe that a stark raving liberal who believes that Americans have the wholesale right to kill babies and that they should be able to do so at the taxpayers' expense, a man who believes that I should pay for healthcare for criminals who sneak across the border, a man who believes in taking away my right to bear arms, is the great white hope for this Country and for the conservative movement. Sorry, but I don't believe it and I am already so damm sick of having Rudy shoved down my throat, what will next few months be like?
I owe something to people like Susan B. Anthony, who tirelessly and endlessly sacrificed for my right to vote, and I realize that the perfect candidate is not going to ride out of the sunrise on a white horse anytime soon. I know there will never, ever be a perfect candidate.
But how much compromising on my personal beliefs am I supposed to do?
I considered it last November, but now, for the first time ever, staying home truly seems like a viable option.
and I hate that!
Posted by LindaSoG at November 28, 2007 07:55 PM
Comments
No,M'Lady, staying home is not a viable option. I agree that it's looking ugly out there and I agree whole heartedly with your views of Lord Rudolf.
I suppose I'm a Fred guy at heart, but given the chice between Rudy and Bill....I mean Hill, what's a relatively Conservative guy to do?
I always respected Susan Bee. Too bad they screwed her memory with that damm quarter sized dollar. I hate that thing.
Oh, as an aside? The ice thing works pretty good if half is placed on the bite and half is placed in a stiff drink.
Wollf
Posted by: howlsatmoon at November 28, 2007 09:04 PM
Linda, I am in the same quandary as you.
So it comes down to:
Vote for someone you don't like, or capitulate to the liberal Hill/Bill crowd?
I might break my jaw (from gritting my teeth) to vote for "Rudimus", that is, of course providing he receives the nom. I just cannot see letting the libs walk away with a win because as conservatives, we just let them win by default. Unfortunately, too many conservatives let their "feet do the talking" and refuse to vote the last time which did nothing but embolden the disgusting lefties.
Posted by: Melissa In Texas at November 28, 2007 11:50 PM
In 2000 I didn't vote (South Florida resident) because I wasn't going to vote for Gore, and I didn't like Bush. I was a registered independent back than because I didn't like ether party. I joined the Republicans so I could at least vote in a primary and hopefully get a decent candidate.
All the candidates are playing the "I am the most Conservative" game. None of them are, but at least they know that is what the base wants.
Posted by: DoubleU at November 29, 2007 08:38 AM
I never thought Rudy was our leading candidate on the Republican side. He can be anoying to many Americans- with his New Yorkness.
Dear Linda, What's so bad about Mitt Romney?(Yes, I support him) He gets Jihad and as the chairman of Mitt For Pres.here in Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, says: "He's a good family man".
Perhaps I'm fooling myself with Mitt, but it helps to keep energy directed and positive.
TGWOT is my #1 issue too and I do trust Rudy to kick ass and not play The Saint in pushing "peace deals" for Israel. So you must vote...please.
Posted by: The Word-Drum at November 29, 2007 02:51 PM
Things have gone downhill ever since 'em uppity wimminz started voting, and dont even get me started on woment being allowed to teach school after getting married. (sarc)
Posted by: sierrahome at November 29, 2007 03:01 PM
I am for Rudy because he understands what the war on terror is about. He knows they are trying to kill us. If they should succeed, nothing else would matter, because we would all be dead or slaves.
Posted by: miriam at December 3, 2007 10:11 PM
Linda, more often than not, most elections are choices between a squishy RINO and a Democrat who would drive us collectively off the cliff. The way I see it, I want to prevent us from becoming Europe as long as possible, and that means voting (R), and then giving them hell when they go soft- hello, Charlie Crist.
I am very optimistic about Fred, and I don't think we'll see him going soft on anything of import. It's not often we get to vote for a candidate of Fred's stature- I hope Republicans don't blow it and pick a RINO like Rudy, Romney, or Huckabee- we would really be shooting ourselves in the foot if we did so.
Posted by: Vince at December 4, 2007 10:17 AM