With election day rapidly approaching, there are many ads, commercials and flyers circulating around advertising potential candidates with the pitch of vowing to make change. Some of the politicians held true to their word for a few minutes, while others revealed their cruel intentions once they were elected into office. Whether it be a good outcome or a not so good outcome, when it comes down to voting no one should pass up the opportunity to “Rock the Vote.”
The road to the right to vote was within itself a very tough and trying battle especially for black people, who had been allowed to vote a mere 55 years ago, after president Lyndon B Johnson signed the voting rights act into law on August 6, 1965. The fight to have this law signed into effect indeed came with a bloody and terrifying price tag, from the brutal attacks on the protesters who were marching from Selma to Montgomery, to the KKK and police intimidation, violence and murder. To the cross, house and church burnings and the almost century old “Jim Crow” laws- all of these cruel and inhumane obstacles were not enough to deter Black folks from fighting for their voices of change, not only for themselves but for us- the future generations to come. They fought so we would not have to take a “literacy test”, a questionnaire that used the lack of education as a discriminating tool against many Black people, who often had failed “the test” and then they were denied the right to vote by election officials working the polls.
There were laws put into place that prohibit ex-felons from voting. That was challenged by the voices of the people, with one of the arguments being that taking away the voices of those who are a part of the mass incarceration complex went hand-in-hand with the powers-that-be opposing any resistance to the racist agenda of the “preschool-to-prison” cycle and the systematic mistreatment that came along with it.
With all that said, it is important that we acknowledge and utilize our voting rights that so many people had suffered and died for. We must educate the generations to come not to no longer become complacent with the lie of the “my vote won’t count” way of thinking and to understand that being proactive is the way to help create change, not just sitting back complaining about the injustices of a nation.
We cannot gripe and groan about how we are all being mistreated and led astray by the current powers-that-be who has shown us that even during a worldwide pandemic that we are not worthy to give sufficient aid to preserve our livelihoods to prevent famine, or led astray by a president that downplayed Covid-19, while arrogantly parading around without wearing a mask thus exposing all those around him, including his own family to the disease. We must “Rock the Vote” and our voices to get these perpetrators of idiocy out of office that’s sinking this nation.
Sick and tired of poverty and the lack of proper resources?? VOTE! Sick of the hell of police brutality running rampant?? VOTE! Sick of inequality, sexism, children being separated from families and incarcerated, homophobia, homelessphobia, (the discrimination of homeless folks due to economic status and/or the stigma of all houseless folks being crazy, lazy or drug induced- keep in mind children and elders are homeless, too!) VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
If you are a registered voter- Rock it! If you have not yet registered to vote- Do it! Due to Covid-19 polling places will be limited but residents can also vote by mail so make your voice count and be the change that we’ve been waiting for, just like the “warriors of rights” before us.
CR Queennandi Xsheba