Luella is shocked by the concept of not voting (“Voting was what it meant to be a citizen, a generational wish passed down from our parents and grandparents…The only way to change the law was to vote.”) (p. 34) What did you think of her reaction? Do you feel many people today share this sentiment about the practice? Why or why not?
I agree with her reaction and have never not voted. However I think today there are many people who don’t take the time to pay attention to the issues or maybe feel their vote makes no difference, or maybe they don’t care.
Luella’s shock at the idea of not voting makes complete sense — she lived through the struggle to secure that right and understood viscerally what it meant to be denied it. That kind of firsthand experience creates a relationship with voting that people today, far removed from that history, simply don’t share.
There’s a real danger in that distance. When something has always been available to you, it’s easy to assume it always will be — to treat a hard-won right as a permanent fixture rather than something that was fought for, and that requires ongoing protection
I think Rose_S description of Luella’s shock of not voting is spot on! I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t vote when I was first eligible, probably because I didn’t feel connected to the impact voting could have on my life. I do remember my mother voting but I’m not sure about my father. (This was in the 60’s). In the early 70’s I met my husband and he was shocked that I had nover voted in the past. Needless to say I got a quick history and civics lesson and have NEVER not voted since. Again, Rose_S’s second paragraph is so relevant now. I’m convinced that the outcome of the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections was based on a lot of people not voting because they were upset that Bernie Saunders didn’t get the Democratic nomination (2016), and in 2024 didn’t want to vote for a Black woman or Trump. Elections have consequences. Hopefully our young people as early as middle school are learning about the history of voting in this country (women, non-Whites, immigrants, etc.) and the impact of how our voting choices affect our lives (Supreme Court, Congress, local jurisdiction policies etc.) I’m proud that my granddaughter have been going to the polls with their mother since they were babies, and clearly understand the importance of voting.
I totally agree with Luella. I have never missed a federal or state election and only a very few local elections due to being ill on the day of those elections. I was brought up by parents who pounded it into me that as a citizen voting is both a privilege and a duty. I believe there are many people who don’t vote because they see their vote as being meaningless, especially their presidential vote given the electoral college system. I can understand that, especially living in a blood red state, but their Congressional votes carry just as much weight.
I was as shocked as Luella that some people do not vote. Even today, a large percentage of citizens don’t vote. The most common excuse I’ve heard is that they don’t know who to vote for. But the biggest reason is that people feel divorced from government and that their votes simply don’t matter. I vote in all elections; even if my candidates aren’t elected, the votes can and do make a difference.
I was still a resident of Puerto Rico in the 2000 election (I was 19) and wasn’t able to vote. Within the year, I changed my residency so I could vote the next time. It is so important and I don’t think it really hit me that I couldn’t vote, until that election. I had joined the US military at 18 and I realized it was important to have a say in this as it directly affected my life.
I have always voted. I’m lucky that I live in California where every registered voter receives a ballot by mail. Moreover, we have a robust system through which we are notified when our ballots are mailed so we can watch for them. We are also notified when our ballots are received by mail and receive confirmation that they have been counted. For years when I was practicing law, I traveled extensively and voting by mail made it easy for me. There was no need to arrange my workload/travel to be at home on election day.
I hear about people not turning out to vote and am always both shocked and appalled. The right to vote was hard won by many people, including women, and should NEVER be taken for granted. I raised my sons to take voting seriously and never miss voting in any election, and they never have. Too many people are complacent or hopeless, believing their votes won’t matter, despite recent events disproving that. And that attitude among young people is especially galling.
At times, I am convinced I have turned into my mother – as predicted – but I grew up hearing about my parents’ struggles to survive the Great Depression and World War II. My father answered the call to serve to defeat fascism/authoritarianism and preserve our democracy. I don’t know what kids are learning in history classes these days, but democracy is fragile and it will require ALL of us to save it. Voting is not optional. It is a right and a DUTY.
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Well said, @Janie-Hickok-Siess! I couldn’t agree more.
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