VOTE!

This photograph taken during the civil rights movement by Bruce Davidson reminds me that many people struggled, organized and even died for the right to vote in this country. It reminds me that some of the same obstacles exist today, and that some reactionaries still want to silence people--not just African American voters--by making voting less accessible scrambling voting districts, and trying t o scare off voters-not to mention sewing apathy and confusion and a "What does it matter?" attitude. This photograph reminds me that even if the system is rigged in favor of the rich and powerful and politically connected (and it is) people can fight City Hall, and they can change even the most entrenched institutions. This picture reminds me of more than the Freedom Riders who risked jail, beatings and murder while registering disenfranchised voters throughout the South, but also the present-day activists who fight for positive social change and work to protect our civil liberties and the wide range of voices regardless of money, class, gender and sexual orientation. This photograph reminds me that Rage Against the Machine isn't just a clever name for a band. This photograph reminds me that even the most powerful person in the top 1%, who enjoys better health care and other luxuries, and who enjoys an unfair advantage influencing elections buying campaign ads and giving "donations" that amount to bribes, only gets one vote, and I can match that. This picture reminds me to vote.