While scrolling through my Facebook feed, I stumbled across an article that outlined the recent social media trending topic that was being supported by some Donald Trump supporters. The reason the hashtag was started was in reaction to two pictures shared showing the projected election results with and without women's votes. In the projection showing women's votes being included, Trump lost, but in the projection showing only men's votes, Trump was slated to win. Some went to Twitter and began the hashtag #RepealThe19th.
I was utterly disgusted.
For years, women have been fighting to achieve equal rights to men. The feminist movement began to push for these changes in the social spectrum, and seemingly, progress had been made. Women earned the right to vote a mere ninety-six years ago, in 1920 when the 19th Amendment was passed. While it may seem like women have been voting just as long as men, as our oldest generation lived most of their lives during a time in which women can vote, ninety-six years is not that long of a span of time in relation to how long men have had full-fledged rights.
As a feminist, it felt as if our entire movement had been pushed a billion steps back. Hearing individuals tell me that I am over-sensitive for being offended by a small number of people on Twitter, or that it was all just a joke, was one of the most infuriating aspects of it all. My right as an American citizen should never be used as a joke. The fight my predecessors went through just to cast a vote should never be made as a joke.
To my surprise there were women actually supportive of the #RepealThe19th movement. If you are a woman who supports such a vile movement, exercise your personal right to vote or not to vote, but do not joke about women losing basic rights within the American government. I strongly encourage all women to vote, but if you seriously think not voting is the best course of action, that's on you. My right to vote should not be effected because of support for a truly confusing and offensive campaign run by a businessman trying to create another empire. Voting for Trump because you believe he is the best candidate and are completely informed on the issues rather than the drama surrounding both candidates is one thing, but urging that all women abstain or be denied their right to vote for whomever they wish to vote for is another and I absolutely cannot support it.
To be clear - anger was never derived from an actual fear that our right to vote would be taken away or infringed upon. The anger that was felt came from the fact that any American citizen would even joke about denying another citizen from their rights. It is despicable that any citizen would joke about something of this nature, especially after what women went through in order to have this right.
