By Ronda Watson Barber
OhioMBE Publisher
Are you registered to vote? Are the folks you hang out with registered to vote? I know that you are tired of hearing about the upcoming election. Registering to vote and then casting a ballot is vital. Voting during the upcoming election season is major. Make the decision to participate. Some say THIS is the election of our lifetime. The election is about power. The folks that have the power are holding on tight and are making plans to disrupt the voting process in an effort to keep it. They are not going to let go of allocating resources, reforming law enforcement, and other policies that have suppressed Black people and the “others” in the community. They want to stay on top. The republican party is working overtime to prevent and quash Black folks from voting. Why would so much energy and funding go towards this endeavor? Your vote is POWER.
The upcoming presidential election and the down-ballot is going to be a dog-fight. It’s about white supremacy or democracy. The United States is experiencing social unrest over inequities. Everyone simply wants to be treated with dignity and fairness when dealing with our government and its representatives. You know that freedom thing that is outlined in the Constitution.
Folks of all races, worldwide, have been marching to declare that Black Lives Matter. We have to show we know we matter. Black folks need to demonstrate our power with our vote. Black folks have to be the first in line to vote. Black folks have to bring lunch, a lawn chair, and endure whatever tactics are placed before us to prevent us from voting. Order your absentee ballot and hand-deliver it to your county board of election. Do what you have to do to be counted. It matters. It matters for your kids and grandchildren.
Ohio has early voting. The first day to vote is Oct. 6. There is no excuse not to participate. We have to vote in overwhelming numbers to show our utter condemnation towards the racist impeached president, who lost the popular vote in 2016, and his policies.
A bunch of ancestors lost their lives defending this democracy and our right to participate. It’s OUR democracy. It’s our America too. Do not allow white supremacy to overtake our government by the people.
Just my thoughts…rwb
To the litigious: The First Amendment protects several basic freedoms in the United States including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. It was part of the Bill of Rights that was added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. The U.S. Constitution applies to Black Americans as well. The views expressed in OhioMBE and the media outlets of The 912 Group are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views/opinions of The 912 Group, the editor, publisher, our staff, families, or our advertisers.
