Mrs. Jones

[halloweenjack]

This story on NPR brought tears to my eyes on the morning drive to work. Amanda Jones' life spans three centuries. Her father was emancipated at the end of the Civil War. She took some of the money that she made from picking cotton and paid the discriminatory poll tax so that she could vote for FDR.

I don't think that anyone on my flist is a non-voter, but just in case, or if you know someone who thinks that their vote is incapable of making a difference, I'd like you to think about this for a minute. Picking cotton is not an easy way to make a living. It is, quite literally, back-breaking work. I went to vote yesterday and was given cookies and a sticker.

I am grateful to any number of people for this election. mary_mayhem stood for five hours handing out sample ballots yesterday. The Obamas and Bidens withstood slander and threats from people who are not fit to breathe the same air as them. But, most of all, I'm grateful to Amanda Jones.

Comments

[a-nightengale.livejournal.com]

I heard that on NPR too and had a similar reaction. (Also, I'm only one generation removed from people who've picked cotton.)