Voting Rights Quotes

“The Ephebians believed that every man should have the vote (provided that he wasn't poor, foreign, nor disqualified by reason of being mad, frivolous, or a woman). Every five years someone was elected to be Tyrant, provided he could prove that he was honest, intelligent, sensible, and trustworthy. Immediately after he was elected, of course, it was obvious to everyone that he was a criminal madman and totally out of touch with the view of the ordinary philosopher in the street looking for a towel. And then five years later they elected another one just like him, and really it was amazing how intelligent people kept on making the same mistakes.”
― Terry Pratchett, Small Gods

“Every election is determined by the people who show up.”
― Larry J. Sabato , Pendulum Swing

“People who are not capable of boarding by group number do not deserve the right to vote.”
― J.K. Franko

“The ruling power is always faced with the question, ‘In such and such circumstances, what would you do?’, whereas the opposition is not obliged to take responsibility or make any real decisions.”
― George Orwell

“There is a great new work before us, which is to replace with true knowledge the ignorance that has destroyed human minds. We will construct unity in a world [which] has been brutally torn apart by false divisions of race, religion, gender, nationality, and age. We will heal with unconditional love those souls whose hearts have been disfigured by hatred and loneliness.”
― Aberjhani, Songs from the Black Skylark zPed Music Player

“Resistance isn’t enough. If we want change, we have to get out the vote.”
― DaShanne Stokes

“You sold out! We elected you, and you sold out! The next time we have an election, I think everyone should vote for himself. Or we might just as well vote for Charlie Brown! Yes, next year we may even say, 'You're elected, Charlie Brown!”
― Charles M. Schulz, You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown

“The women of the world will dominate politics, some day, and you mustn't be too old-fashioned in your notions to join the procession of progress.”
― L. Frank Baum, Phoebe Daring: A Story for Young Folk

“Ex-offenders are expected to pay fines and court costs, and submit paperwork to multiple agencies in an effort to win back a right that should never have been taken away in a democracy.”
― Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

“Before you ask the person to vote, do something nice and unexpected that will make that person feel the need to reciprocate the favor.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“A great way to persuade people is by making them feel like they're missing out, because people are much more likely to participate in something if they feel like they're the only ones not doing it.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“People are much more likely to be interested in things they can't have, so you may be able to persuade people to vote by questioning whether that right will always exist.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Many people take for granted that they always have and always will have the right to vote, but shedding doubt on that may be enough to make people realize that they shouldn’t squander their votes.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Be a likeable and relatable voice of reason.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Even if you're total strangers, you can establish a connection by:

- Complimenting the person
- Finding some things you have in common
- Being nice and showing an interest in things they care about.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“One of the most effective ways there is of getting people to vote is by simply asking them to.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“One of the biggest reasons that people don’t vote is because they don’t see the point, so I can explain that the only way they can be heard is by casting a vote.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“A vote isn't just a piece of paper: it’s a person’s way of weighing in on who should be running the country, so not voting is the same as throwing away their say in the matter.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Voting shapes the future.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“A major argument against voting is that it makes no difference, and if that’s the case, let me explain that the person’s vote does make a difference.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Know your candidates. Know who they are and what party they are representing.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Don't vote based on what others are doing. Go with your gut and the knowledge you've gleaned from doing your research. Do listen to what others have to say––it is important to gauge what others feel and think but you must still reach an opinion based on what you know, think and feel is the right choice.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Ready to make your voice heard? Go and vote.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Go and vote.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“The person’s vote does make a difference.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice

“Don't vote for someone just because they're a part of a certain party. There have been many great leaders from the main parties, and their greatness has been based on their abilities/skills, their knowledge, their experience and their intellectual prowess. Don't let their title or party membership sway you. Look for someone who is capable, competent and responsible, who is willing to put people before power.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“Base your voting process off your research.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice, The Secret of Greatness

“There is no more vital right in a democracy than the right to vote. Without it, no other right is secure.”
― Lawrence Goldstone, Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights

“The violence of Jim Crow has given way to craftier present-day methods of disenfranchising marginalized communities, according to this stirring history of American voting rights.
Thomas begins by recapping laws that historically prevented Black people in segregated Southern states from voting, including exorbitant poll taxes and absurdly complicated “literacy” tests required of Black would-be voters but not white voters. More brutal methods were also used, the author notes; Black Southerners who tried to register to vote were often fired, evicted, arrested, beaten, or even killed. Thomas goes on to explore today’s subtler means of voter suppression. These include voter ID laws that disproportionately disqualify minorities who lack official documents; laws that reduce the numbers of polling locations or make absentee voting harder; purges of voter lists; and restrictions on who can vote. Thomas weaves in detailed narratives of voting-rights milestones, like the 1965 voter registration drive and marches in Selma, Alabama, that led to police violence and galvanized the passage of the Voting Rights Act; he also explores later Supreme Court decisions that weakened the VRA and contemporary efforts to restore it. Throughout, the author spotlights voting-rights heroes from Bob Moses, who was beaten while leading a 1961 Mississippi registration drive, to Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia who founded Fair Fight Action, which registered thousands of voters and helped deliver Georgia to Joe Biden in 2020. Thomas combines deep dives into voting law with vivid, dramatic retellings of epic civil rights battles; his prose is lucid and perceptive, with occasional elegant perorations on the sacredness of the franchise. (“When people lose the power to vote, they lose the ability to choose their defenders. They lose representatives who understand, care about, and work to protect their rights. As a result, the US as a whole loses its voice.”) The result is a captivating history that shows how relevant the defense of voting rights remains.
An erudite and engrossing look at the perennial struggle to safeguard the cornerstone of democracy.”
― Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

“Guardians of the Vote: History, Heroes, and the Legacy of Voting Rights—1960s v. Today” by Jet Thomas, Ed.S., a retired educator, is an essential text covering all aspects of voting in the United States of America. It focuses on how Black Americans, along with other minority groups, have suffered from unequal and often biased circumstances that have suppressed their participation in this cornerstone of democracy.

Thomas covers the history of voting with particular emphasis on the events that led to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s; he features both well-known and more obscure figures who were leaders in creating change – whom he refers to as “Guardians of the Vote;” and the concerns we are facing today due to decisions by the Supreme Court that have weakened the Voting Rights Act. He exposes and explains the current tactics of political maneuvering to circumvent the rights of citizens who are exercising their right to cast votes.

Journalist Tavis Smiley contributed the foreword, which describes how the individual reader can become a guardian of the vote by increasing their involvement in the process, with education and training from supportive organizations, making every effort to vote in every election, and then instructing children on the importance of voting and the history of civil rights empowerment. The foreword functions as an outline for what the reader will encounter in the body of the book, as discussed in its nine chapters.

Many readers will realize that much of the material that Thomas presents was never covered in their own educational experience, at least not in-depth, and depending on the era of their school attendance, in discussions of current events – this reader/reviewer can attest to very little, even though the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed less than a decade before my own high school graduation. In retrospect, and with consideration of my memories of the coverage presented on the major network news broadcasts of the time, that seems quite shocking.

The Introduction offers an excellent overview of the history of key events related to voting in the United States. Thomas then offers nine highly detailed yet very readable chapters covering topics that include discrimination methods found in communication, voter intimidation and restrictions, political manipulation, a study of pertinent legislation, a survey of key voter advocacy groups, and profiles of leading figures in the Civil Rights Movement.

The text is amplified with graphic introductions to each chapter that provide a timeline of historical events. There are also numerous photos of pertinent materials, important historic and well-recognized figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and Congressman John Lewis, along with the individuals he profiles as “Guardians of the Vote.” These visuals provide additional interest and context to the narrative.
The author has compiled and organized a vast trove of information to educate and inform readers on the importance of making their voices heard through voting. He also strives to acquaint them with the obstacles Black Americans and other minorities face when attempting to vote, and solutions for remedying this very large problem facing our democracy. His in-depth research and careful documentation are highly evident. In addition, he provides a helpful glossary and references to assist his audience.

Readers from high school age onward will come away with new information that will aid them in becoming “Guardians of the Vote” in their own right. Knowledge truly is power when the goal is positive change.

“Guardians of the Vote” by Jet Thomas, Ed.S. is a book that should be used to teach history and current events in every high school classroom, in college courses, in community study groups, and in political organizations. It is an important book, and I recommend it to every current and prospective citizen of this country.”
― Reader Views