From Jen O'Malley Dillon at Democrats.org:
For the first 144 years of this country's existence, women were not guaranteed the right to vote -- and winning that right did not come easily.
Women's suffrage took a movement. It took organizers who worked tirelessly and allies who fought for the cause in the halls of power. On August 18th, 1920, when the legislature of the state of Tennessee voted to ratify the 19th Amendment and affirm its place in the Constitution, it passed by a single vote.
Because of the work of those who came before me, my right to cast a ballot was never in question. From the first time that I stepped into a voting booth to the day when I became the executive director of the Democratic Party, I've been deeply mindful of that fact.
Last week, President Obama asked us all to make a commitment to vote this fall. To me, that promise isn't just about choosing the direction I hope to see this country take -- it's an opportunity to honor those who didn't have the right to vote but fought so that their daughters and granddaughters would not be denied the full measure of citizenship.
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The movement for suffrage began before the Civil War. Women faced prison sentences -- even beatings -- to cast ballots as a gesture of protest. Even before the right to vote was won, women like Victoria Woodhull and Belva Lockwood ran for office. States across the country began to grant suffrage, and on the eve of the First World War, Woodrow Wilson -- a Democrat -- became the first president to take up the call.
Susan B. Anthony devoted her life to the cause of equality, and in 1897, decades before her fight was won, she wrote "Suffrage is the pivotal right." In the 90 years since the 19th Amendment became law, that statement has borne out.
Today, in the United States, there are more women registered to vote than men, and the gap stands at nearly 10 million. From House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, women hold office at every level of government.
While some of the history noted above may be true, notice how Ms. Dillon fails to mention by todays standards Susan B. Anthony would be a strong conservative woman, far from a democrat. She also fails to mention other strong women in the political arena who too have the right vote including Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Mary Fallin, Virginia Foxx, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Candice Miller, Sue Myrick, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Jean Schmidt. These women are strongly backed by the Susan B. Anthony List, believe in a woman's right to vote and are pro-life. Susan B. Anthony fought for women's rights and opposed abortion. Who would have thought!?
According to Ms. Dillon, your right to vote as a woman is only important if you vote on the left.
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