Published: August 26, 2008 05:00 pm            

Letters to the editor - Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008

Mischief makers, leave signs alone

I awoke Thursday morning to find an Obama sign was removed from my lawn. Hopefully someone just wanted to display the sign more than I did.

It upsets me that Kokomo residents would stoop to this level of mischief. Whether or not I agree with the politics of my neighbors and fellow citizens, I don’t invade someone’s property and remove their signage. The signs people choose to display are their own prerogative, from Republican to Democrat to “Support Our Troops” to “No Annexation.”

Removing my sign is an attempt to silence my free speech, and is the same kind of intolerance that’s divided us for the last few years, pitting us against each other as we question our neighbor’s patriotism. This is the same intolerance Senator Obama is trying to help us rise above.

He is the candidate who has been endorsed by nearly all labor groups. In a city like Kokomo, that should carry a lot of weight during times like these.

He is the candidate proposing a $1,000 tax cut for working families, and eliminating income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000. The only Americans affected by a rise in payroll taxes would be the top 3 percent who make more than $250,000. Obviously in Kokomo, few of us qualify at that level. So don’t be fooled by the GOP’s age-old scare tactics about him “raising your taxes.”

As an educator, I have even more reason to support Senator Obama. At the Saddleback Forum, he was the candidate viewing teachers as professionals who should be rewarded as such. Contrarily, McCain’s response to merit pay for teachers was a flippant “yes, and find bad teachers another line of work.” Apparently, he views my profession with such disdain that he has no interest in helping struggling teachers improve themselves.

To the new owner of my Obama sign, please know that I have put in time to make a choice. And please respect others enough to leave their property alone if you still disagree with them.

Jon Serra

Kokomo

Women suffragettes bolstered democracy

Tuesday, Aug. 26, we observed Women’s Equality Day. Women’s Equality Day not only marks the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to our continuing efforts toward full equality and issues concerning women.

The women’s suffrage amendment was introduced for the first time in Congress on Jan. 10, 1878. It was resubmitted many times until finally, in June 1919, the amendment was approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Women took the following year trying to get the needed two-thirds of the states to ratify the amendment. The final state needed for ratification, Tennessee, voted to approve the amendment on Aug. 24, 1920. Aug. 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was signed into law.

More than 50 years of activism by some courageous women through their protests, speeches, essays, civil disobedience, lobbying, organizing and every other form of activism imaginable finally convinced the United States Congress that women should have this right. These women took the time to participate in the movement so that they could ensure that women have the right to vote. They took the time to get involved to change our country.

These women were often involved in other important issues such as labor laws and the movement to abolish slavery. They were involved in their churches, were daughters, mothers and grandmothers and wives. They persevered for this important mission to strengthen our democracy.

In the 21st century we all have busy lifestyles. We are involved in so many important activities. We can honor those remarkable women, some who died during the suffrage movement, by getting involved during this historic election. We have the chance to elect our first woman governor and the first woman to serve on the Howard County Council. Get registered to vote. The deadline is Oct. 6. Participate in a campaign, go to a meeting, get educated about the candidates and the issues.

Women united can change this county and this country forever.

Tonya Stephenson

Women United

For Change

        

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