I'm a left-leaning independent voter of the USA. While I don't follow politics as closely as I probably should, I've always been fascinated by the wild swings in the people's political ideology over time. This phenomenon, which I call the pendulum swing, is intriguing. We have been in the middle of such a swing for the better part of a decade now.
You know... when the progressives take over and start pushing their ideas and getting laws passed, then the conservatives jump into action and say, "Woah, hold on a minute, we are moving too fast!" Then we slow back down to the "good ole days" when things were simpler as they see it. This shift in policies is usually a good checks and balances on the democratic system. But sometimes the policy shifts swing way too far out of kilter, and the proposed policies from one side just get out of control.
This has been happening for the last few years since the Obama administration. The right wing has been on a rampage to try and correct, as they see fit, the progressive ideas that have been coming from the left wing. The latest attack is on the 19th Amendment that allowed women to vote. "Repeal the 19th Amendment" started trending on Twitter/X a few days after Kamala Harris started campaigning following President Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 election cycle.
Kamala Harris running for president has some conservatives scared. So, in response to a woman running for president, they want to end women's right to vote because she is garnering so many women voters.
Imagine a world where half the population was silenced overnight. The repeal of the 19th Amendment would not only disenfranchise millions of women but also set a dangerous precedent for our democracy. This isn't just a step back in time; it's a leap back into an era where voices were stifled, and progress was a distant dream.
Imagine your daughter who we will call, Lila, is hearing these calls. What is she to think? It could be about abortion or womens suffrage. Take your pick.
Lila sat on her porch, the evening breeze rustling the pages of her grandmother's old journal. Her grandmother, Alice, had been one of the suffragettes, marching, rallying, and tirelessly campaigning for women's right to vote. The journal was filled with stories of determination, hope, and the belief that every voice mattered.
As Lila read, she couldn't help but think of the current political climate. The news was filled with debates about repealing the 19th Amendment. It seemed unthinkable, yet here it was, a real possibility. The idea that the progress made by her grandmother's generation could be undone was both infuriating and heartbreaking.
The arguments for repeal were rooted in fear. Fear of change, fear of losing power, and fear of the unknown. But Lila knew that fear should never be the driving force behind political decisions. The right to vote was fundamental, a cornerstone of democracy. To take that away was to strip away the very essence of what it meant to be free.
Lila thought about Kamala Harris and the wave of support she was receiving from women across the country. It was inspiring to see a woman so close to the highest office in the land, a testament to how far they had come. But it also made the backlash even more vicious. The fear of a woman president was pushing some to extreme measures.
As Lila closed the journal, she felt a renewed sense of purpose. She wasn't just fighting for herself but for her grandmother, for all the women who had come before her, and for the generations to come. The pendulum might swing, but some things should never be up for debate.
She joined a local rally, her voice blending with thousands of others. They marched, chanted, and made it clear that they would not be silenced. The repeal of the 19th Amendment was a bad idea, not just because it was unfair, but because it threatened the very fabric of democracy.
In the end, it isn't just about politics. It was about humanity, equality, and the belief that every person, regardless of gender, had the right to be heard. The pendulum would swing, but with voices like Lila's, it would always find its way back to balance.
In the United States, women have consistently voted at higher rates than men for several decades. In the 2022 midterm elections, women registered to vote and turned out to vote in greater numbers compared to men. The gender gap in voter turnout has been a notable trend, with women typically outnumbering men by about 10 million in terms of voter registration, although this gap narrowed to 7.4 million in 2022 (Pew Research Center) (CAWP).
In presidential elections, the turnout rate for women has exceeded that of men since 1980. Women have also shown higher registration rates, often by significant margins. This trend highlights the critical role women play in shaping the electoral landscape, and their votes are crucial in determining election outcomes (Pew Research Center) (CAWP).
For the 2024 elections, these patterns are expected to continue, with women likely making up a significant portion of the electorate. Their participation and preferences will be pivotal in influencing the results of the upcoming presidential race and other key political contests (Pew Research Center) (CAWP).
