21 Days of Contagious Gratitude | Day 3

21 Days of Contagious Gratitude

Image Source | Georgia WAND

I was born into the world with the right to vote, but I will never take for granted this right.  As a Christian, African American, Woman, I am aware of the many people that suffered and died for me to have this right.

Day 3 – I am grateful for the right to vote, and be a part of the democratic process.

"In every presidential election since 1964, there have been more female voters than male voters. And since 1980, "the proportion of eligible female adults who voted has exceeded the proportion of eligible male adults who voted..." – NPR

Women’s Suffrage

Women gained the right to vote in 1947 for local elections and for national elections in 1953 (article 34 of the constitution). Excerpt | Wikipedia.org _Women’s Suffrage

Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change in the Constitution. Militant suffragists used tactics such as parades, silent vigils, and hunger strikes. The records of the National Archives and Records Administration reveal much of this struggle

Why women should vote

The Minority Vote

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S. Echoing the language of the 15th Amendment, the Act prohibits states from imposing any "voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure ... to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color." Excerpt | Wikipedia.org _Voting RightsAct

Why Minorities Should Vote

The Christian Vote

Below is an excerpt of an article by GotQuestions.org regarding the Christian vote.

It is our contention that it is the duty and responsibility of every Christian to vote and to vote for leaders who promote Christian principles. God is most certainly in control, but that does not mean we should do nothing to further His will. We are commanded to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). In terms of politics and leadership, there is evidence in Scripture that God has been displeased with our choices of leadership at times (Hosea 8:4). The evidence of sin’s grip on this world is everywhere. Much of the suffering on earth is because of godless leadership (Proverbs 28:12). Scripture gives Christians instructions to obey legitimate authority unless it contradicts the Lord’s commands (Acts 5:27-29; Romans 13:1-7). As born-again believers, we ought to strive to choose leaders who will be themselves led by our Creator (1 Samuel 12:13-25). Candidates or proposals that violate the Bible’s commands for life, family, marriage, or faith should never be supported (Proverbs 14:34). Christians should vote as led through prayer and study of both God’s Word and the realities of the choices on the ballot.

Christians in many countries in this world are oppressed and persecuted. They suffer under governments they are powerless to change and governments that hate their faith and silence their voices. These believers preach the gospel of Jesus Christ at risk of their own lives. In the U.S.A., Christians have been blessed with the right to speak about and choose their leaders without fearing for themselves or their families. In the U.S.A., in recent elections, about 2 of every 5 of self-professed Christians took that right for granted and did not vote. About 1 in 5 self-professed, eligible Christians are not even registered to vote.

 Remember

“A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” ― Theodore Roosevelt