#100YEARS

In 2020, we will celebrate 100 years of women's right to vote in the United States of America. It took almost 100 years for activists and reformers to win this right, and it was not an easy battle. For nearly 100 years now, women have had a voice in our government and in society. We have been, at least on paper, afforded equal rights with men. And yet, every single woman I know has been dismissed many times in her life as "less". Women are often perceived as less believable, less capable, less worthy, and less essential than men. A woman's suffering is often perceived as less important than a man's career or successes. We are shamed, blamed, and dismissed around this country every day, in virtually every setting.

I submit to you that men and women can work together to change this. This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is a human issue. In the days and years ahead, we need to cast our votes ONLY for candidates who fully support a society in which all men and all women are valued equally. We must put this as our number one requirement on any candidate, before other policies, not just by lip service, but by actions. Only then will candidates come forth who can be counted on to value all of us. If this issue, equal value of every citizen, is not at the forefront of our minds and reflected in our votes, we will remain a divided society for another 100 years. I believe that there are enough men of integrity, and enough women of courage to change this culture, and by the time we reach that 100th anniversary, we will be on our way to being a society where each human being is valued for their contributions and also expected to conduct themselves respectfully toward each other at all times, regardless of age, sex, race, or economic standing. We owe this to ourselves, and we owe it to our daughters, sisters, granddaughters, mothers, nieces and friends. Not another #100YEARS can go by. The time is now.