Wednesday, November 5, 2008

My Vote Mattered

Last night, I asked my roommate if he voted. I thought it would be nice for us to watch the results together. His response was SHOCKING. He did NOT vote. He was not even registered! "It's just not my thing", he said. What?!? What?!? I literally saw spots. I couldn't even bare to look at him. "It's not your thing?" I said. "I just doesn't seem that important. He's already going to win. My vote doesn't matter." I immediately went into my speech....

"We, as black people, as American's, must always exercise our right to vote. We were granted voting rights in the 1860's, but it was not until 1965, when Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, that we were actually allowed to vote. For one hundred years we were threatened, murdered, and taxed to keep us from polls. Literacy tests were created to stop us from having a voice. We fought dogs, and fire hoses! And you, a black man, on the brink of the most important election in history, are not going to exercise the right that our people fought so hard for? (FYI, I have a similar speech for women who don't vote)?"

Well, he said nothing. Just continued to take out the trash. He probably thinks I'm crazy. I don't really care. I just don't understand how anyone would not want to be a part of history. Oh well! We won without him!

Josephine Baker
www.ggontour.com
©2008

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