Suffer the women to vote

My dear women family members and friends: On this day in 1920, women gained the right to vote in these United States. According to today's Writer's Almanac, "Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation that morning at 8 a.m. at his home. There was no ceremony of any kind. ... Colby just finished his coffee, and signed the document with a regular, steel pen." With that, half of America's population was freed to help determine their own destiny and that of their families, their towns and cities, their counties and states and their country. For suffrage we have a long list of people to thank. And we can thank them by voting, at every opportunity afforded to us; by teaching our nieces and our daughters to vote; by encouraging our jaded and wearied friends to vote; by hosting a polling station. We all are fortunate to be able to determine our own governance. We fought for that right in the Revolutionary War. But women had to battle twice, and they won their fight on August 26, 1920. I care deeply about who becomes our next president, who will sit in our Senates and Houses, and what are new laws will and won't be. But for whom and what you vote doesn't matter to me so much as I am concerned that you cast your ballots. Now, while there's still time to research candidates and issues, arm youselves with knowledge. And please, on November 4, vote.