The year 1920 was the year that women won a victory. We won the right to vote. Women have spent so much time, energy, blood, sweat and tears to be able to vote; the same right as men. The hope they had for the future was bright. Women of the future will be grateful for the sacrifices made from the women of the past. And women should be grateful, but women’s actions often show otherwise. The future isn’t as bright as they hoped.

What’s that? You don’t agree? Lets take a minute to fast forward in time.

“This woman’s place is in the House — the House of Representatives.” — Bella Abzug (1920–1998)

It is now the year 2018, just two years shy of the 100 year anniversary of the right for women to vote. What has changed? So much has changed. Women are in congress. It became possible for women to be part of changing and molding the United States for the better. And just two years ago, a woman was running for President of the United States of America. Did she win? No.

The reason why might be because some may say that she was the devil. Some call her “Crooked Hillary.” It doesn’t matter that she was the most qualified person to ever run for president. It doesn’t matter that she won the popular vote. Why? She’s a woman, a woman that many women refused to support.

And then there’s the other guy, the one the Electoral College voted in as president. The white/orange man with an unapologetic attitude on sexual assault. The one who said that he could grab a woman by the pussy.

So why did another white man win? During the election many people said that the choice between the two nominees was like choosing a lesser evil. Well, lets take a blast to the past one more time to the year 2016.

“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.” — Michelle Obama

According to the Washington Post about a 100 million eligible voters did not vote in the year 2016. I, unfortunately, am not surprised from this statistic. The reason why I am not surprised is because of all the people who were around me that year and the things they said to me before, during and after the election. It’s a shame to hear so many women tell me, “My vote, your vote, it doesn’t actually matter. It is all a sham. Why vote when you aren’t the people in charge? They choose who sits in the oval office, not us.”

It pains me so deeply when I hear women who I see as independent, strong, and courageous women who did not vote.

“Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.” — Beyonce

Being an American is using your voice. When one doesn’t vote, they deny their own voice. They make their voice silent, and that is heartbreaking. I had a friend who did not vote come to me and complain about simple things like road bumps on the road, or how their rent went up by a few hundred dollars, or the smog in the air, or the food we eat. I would simply say, “You can’t complain about that, you didn’t vote.”

It is October and in less than a week from now we will have a chance to vote in the mid-term elections. I know that there are still a lot of women, and men in the United States who are not too crazy about voting. But I want to urge you to reconsider. Don’t purposely keep quiet about your voice now and later complain about things that you kept quiet. It will haunt you in the future.

There are resources out there to help you understand the propositions on the ballot and the different people who are running. Don’t let those who fought and died so you could have a better future be in vein. Make it worth it. Be proud to be an American.

If you still don’t think that these things might affect you and your loved onesf, take a look at these summaries for the props for this year. You might change your tune about not wanting to vote.

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall

The point is that without registering to vote, without using your voice, you are not only letting yourself down, you are letting those around you down as well. It is not just about who the president is. It is much more than that. It is how the cities and your communities will be affected. It is about your rent, and your taxes, and healthcare, and the environment. It is about human rights and women’s rights. IT. IS. ABOUT. EVERYTHING.

The time you take from your day to look at and research the different props and the people running on the ballot and why they are important is crucial.

What will happen if you don’t vote? What will happen in a year, two years, 10 years from now? Will there be more debt? It is possible. Will there be a budget cut that ends a program that can benefit you? It is possible. Will you or your family’s rights be taken away? Maybe. So Register. Get involved. And don’t complain if you don’t.

“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” — Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)