A Word from Laura: Voting-A Sacred Right

As we get ready to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of women’s suffrage, I think of my Tennessee grandmother. She remembered August 18, 1920 with pride, when her state became the thirty-sixth to ratify women’s voting, thus establishing the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution, making it the “law of the land,” to use her language. Nanny told us the story of the day because she didn’t want us to take voting for granted. She wanted her granddaughters to remember the sacrifices made by many so that we could exercise our right. Her reminders are a big part of why I get myself to the poll, almost like it’s my religion.

While the sacrifices of those in our nation’s Civil Rights movement weren’t made for me personally, all those who sacrificed for the sake of equal suffrage are calling on us these days. We should still be able to hear John Lewis’s voice ringing in our ears, reminding us voting is “precious… almost sacred… the most powerful non-violent tool we have.”

It’s why I get angry when I hear about contemporary challenges for voting along the lines of race and ethnicity, but why those challenges connect with our faith. (If you missed the group viewing of “Suppressed: The Right to Vote,” about challenges to voting in my home state of Georgia’s last gubernatorial election, watch it on vimeo!) 

And it’s why I’m proud that our Mission Ministry Team is supporting the efforts of Reclaim Our Vote, out of the Center for Common Ground in Virginia. I hope you’ll join with a group of Westerners after worship this Sunday to find out more about becoming part of the effort. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate - other than making sure you’re ready to exercise your own right! 

Giving thanks for you, and for the sacred right we share, 

Laura