GRANDMA GREEN SAYS: Exercise your right to vote

Regarding voting, or the lack thereof in Grant County, I read the Columbia Basin Herald’s edition of Aug. 20 to learn that only 34% of voters took the effort to vote in the primary election. Fifty-nine percent of those 65 and older were the highest number of voters. Those 25-34 were the lowest number at 14%.

Why is the voter turnout so dismal? Maybe people should educate themselves as to what their forefathers (women too!) did to ensure our right to vote, to govern ourselves and to live in a democracy – not in a kingdom with a king or queen ruling over us.

The Pilgrims fled to our shores seeking freedom to worship as they chose and to govern and live as they wanted. So many things have been accomplished by working together via the judicial way.

The Bill of Rights

Amendment I: Religious establishment prohibited, freedom of speech and of press and the right to assemble. Read the entire amendment for more details.

Amendment XV: Proposed by Congress Feb. 26, 1869, and ratified Feb. 5, 1870. The rights of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

Amendment XIX: Nationwide suffrage to women. Proposed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified Aug. 18, 1920. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. The history of the suffragettes is an interesting read.

Aug. 6, 1965: The Voting Rights Act, which banned literacy tests and voter qualification tests.

Amendment XXVI: Voting age lowered to 18. Proposed by Congress March 28, 1971, and ratified June 1, 1971. The right of the citizens of the United States who are 18 years of age or older to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States on account of age. One reason this was enacted was due to the Vietnam War. The majority of those in the military were under 21. The consensus was that if they were old enough to go to war, they were old enough to vote.

June 22, 1964: Three civil rights workers in Mississippi were reported missing. Their bodies were found Aug. 4. They were in Mississippi helping people of color register to vote, and that is why they were murdered. “Mississippi Burning,” starring Gene Hackman, is a movie that depicts what happened.

Prior to 2011, in order to vote, you had to go to your local precinct. Then the state of Washington instituted the mail-in ballot. It has proven to be a convenient, just way to get an accurate account of our vote.

Did you know that a person as young as 16 can pre-register to vote? Then at 18 they will automatically become a registered voter. Yay!

How did I encourage my kids and grandkids to vote? Actually, I laid a guilt trip on them: If you vote for no other reason than to honor your grandmothers, it will be enough for me.

Their great-grandmother, a Swedish immigrant born in 1913, was a U.S. citizen and a Rosie the Riveter. She never missed an election.

Their 2x-great-grandmother was born in 1898 and voted since 1920. Their other 2x-great-grandmother was born in 1884 and was an actual suffragette. She voted in every election since 1920 and was a poll worker.

Then there’s me, Grandma Green. Voting since 1962. That’s 64 years.

So, for those of you who choose not to vote, remember, you have no right to complain. Do the right thing.

Joan "Grandma" Green is a regular contributing columnist for the Columbia Basin Herald. She has been a Moses Lake resident for more than 50 years.