women who don't vote

[beepbeepimasheep]

Three women who I know have recently said that they have no interest in politics, don't understand politics and can't be bothered to vote.

I can't help but think that they are being a bit pathetic. Were the suffragettes efforts all for nothing? I have never missed voting in any election so I can complain about it when my party don't win as I think it's so important that we all vote.

Set up your own party? I'd suggest calling it The Lying Witch party but I think people might confuse you with the Conservatives....(showing my leanings there ).

OP do you feel the same about men, took them ages to get universal suffrage and a secret ballot so their employer couldn't march them down to the booth and get them to vote their way.

Margot - yes I appreciate that but without going into it in detail, I agreed with some of each of the policies but honestly disagreed strongly with some of each party too. None of them were right for me.

The suffragettes made it possible for women to choose to vote if they want to.

Notice the highlighted word.

It's up to everyone. Everyone can and should feel they can but they don't have to.

Now there's a thought, Margot, The Lying Witch party... has a ring to it.

Reminds me of that old gag...

Q. How do you know when a politician is lying?
A: Their lips are moving

If only that were not so apt...

I suppose the difference between guilt-tripping women and men to vote is that eg austerity measures which the Tories favour disproportionately affect women. So you could say there is more reason for women to vote because policies like that affect women more than men (at least initially/directly).

Men don't have the same history of oppression as women and have fewer rights to lose. Eg (v theoretically) if the country swung to the far far right or became a dictatorship, they could repeal maternity leave and abortion rights and access to contraception etc and men's lives would continue largely unchanged but women's would change drastically. Obviously I'm not saying this is going to happen, but that's maybe why people get more worked up about women not voting. They recognise how far we have come and how much we could lose by being complacent.

Or maybe I've just got too engrossed in the Handmaid's Tale!

Haha just caught your msg though LyingWitch .

Well that makes no sense because the first bit didn't post, which was "I'm leaving this thread because we're going round in circles."

YABU. People died so we had the CHOICE to vote or not. It grates me that people use the suffragettes to tell people they HAVE to vote.

Whatever the reason people choose to or not to vote is up to them. They have that opportunity.

It's immature and a cop out to say "None of them precisely represent me, so I'm not voting" - we all have a responsibility to make the best choice available, even if we can't get on board with everything they stand for.

Politicians are only too aware of demographics that don't turn out to vote (younger people, people on lower incomes, people who rent rather than own, women, ethnic minorities) - so they focus less on policy that would make their lives better. By not voting, you're not 'abstaining' from the situation - you're an active part of the problem.

Rant over.

The suffragettes made it possible for women to choose to vote if they want to.

Do feel free to pinpoint that expression in suffragist literature. I don't think you'll find it. Perhaps because it was difficult to believe that in exactly 104 years things would move from Emily Davison dying at the Derby for Votes for Women to 'Not only can I not be bothered to vote, but I expect other women to approve, because, after all, isn't feminism about choice?'

If only we felt like all our votes counted! I'm sure even the most apathetic would get up off their couch. I know I have a pointless walk to the polling station shortly (Tory constituency since 1868) but always feel that this might be the year of change! (Never is). I am voting tactically this time (Labour) instead of where my heart is (Green). I'd love to wipe the smile off our MP after 16 years of uselessness.

Louiselouie, youre putting too much pressure on yourself. (I blame MN

This place has been quite a lively political hotbed well for ever.
Things to pick up from that, are, just how politics does indeed impact peoples day to day lives. However, I can assure you, there are very possibly, no phd educated politicians spouting the 'real truth' behind politics on here. What you have is a total mixed bag of highly opinionated women (me included).

Our political system is flawed in many areas. For example, youre right, what if you vote for a manifesto promise from one party, for them to win, and then not carry out that promise?
Its happened alot. It will continue happening. (If anyone now derails this post to make political gain, Ill be mightily non-plussed!)
But that said, all we can do as an electorate is vote on what we believe the promises are, and then make a bug fuss to demand they deliver their promise. What generally happens when a party doesnt deliver is, they tend to get kicked out at the next election. Credibility down the drain....yet again.

Politics is a huge area, because it covers every aspect of our daily lives. How we live. Our children. etc But dont be daunted by that. The whole point is, the man on the street, no matter how lowly, ill educated, has a right to be heard, at the ballot box. His experience of living in the UK today, is no less important than some phd professor from Oxford. Indeed, Ive said this on other threads, Id argue that the man on the street is far better qualified to vote, than the phd professor in Oxford.

Dont be daunted by it. Your single vote will have to be one of many to impact the result. That in itself should build confidence that thousands felt the same way you did. That actually still applies on the losing side too. Or even, if you want to vote for a totally new independant candidate whose just starting out, who seems to reflect how you feel about things, vote for him/her. This time around he may get 200 votes, but encouraged, next time he may get 20,000. Or 200,000. This is how change happens in small steps, one person says, you know, Im sure we can do this better? This is how Macron, came from nowhere in France, and today is President from his first election.

If theres really no one you like, or issues you feel aligned to, draw a willy!

Not just women not voting, anyone not voting! Just why? Don't get the apathy. No bloody moaning if the results shaft you!

Louiselouie0890 - I don't think anybody goes into the polling booth armed with all the facts and I agree there's a lot to take in. But I don't think that lets any of us off the hook - the alternative is that only a very small number of people vote and make decisions on behalf of the rest of us. It sounds like you're trying to do your research and are better informed than most people - so I don't think you have to be so tough on yourself. Being able to see all points of view and question it all probably makes you a more responsible voter!

There's a brilliant, impartial fact-checking organisation called Full Fact which you might find useful. They 're not linked to any political movement - they just have a team of researchers who fact-check things that politicians and the media say. Check it out - and next time people start ranting at you about politics, you might well find that you're in a position to correct them - as so many of the facts and figures bandied around no all sides are nonsense!

fullfact.org

Hi @LyingWitchInTheWardrobe in my opinion (and it's only my opinion), yes absolutely in those situations you have a right to then moan. You turned up, you contributed, you used your voice.
And yes of course we should be challenging policies and people we don't agree with. Voting doesnt mean you shouldn't continue to use your rights and voice. There is no perfect ruling party in the world and not everyone is going to agree. Am I happy with the choices I've had to vote for? No. Do I agree with everything the party I've voted for stands for? Hell no. The fight never stops.

Oh and @LyingWitchInTheWardrobe if you do run your own party, I'm pretty certain you'd have my vote ;)

Oh thanks, Hodge. It's not likely that I'd have a party but I appreciate your vote of confidence.

This politics things is a funny old game. I was chatting to a friend about it yesterday and we were discussing the various parties and their leaders/members. I was pondering what happened to these idealistic men and women who went into politics at university, so interested in the ideals and the subject in general... and what happens to them when they actually acquire the power through the vote of the people to change lives for the better? They actually have the mandate to do that and what happens? They muff it. They have absolute power of the budget, even Her Maj can't interfere, and they still muff it.

I'd like to think that if I were in power, I'd do better because (having spent so much time on Mumsnet) I know what the populace wants. But I think I'd cock it up as well because SOMETHING happens... I don't know what but obviously something does. None of the politicians come out of uni thinking, "How can I screw up the country when I get the power? Mwahaha". I don't believe that they think that, even the vile ones... so what does happen to these power-wielding nincompoops?

I wish I knew... 'cos then I'd run a seminar and make them run the country properly.

8 million women didn't vote today , this upsets me too . Thinking of the suffragettes upsets me and the fact us women aren't educating ourselves and using our votes .
I was not raised to be educated on politics / voting which in a way is good because I wasn't brainwashed but I had to teach myself in my mid/late twenties about how important it is .

I think especially in this election where the main parties have gone to opposite extremes, it's especially important to vote. Pick the least worst option. I don't agree with all of Labours policies but I find the Tories manifesto abhorrent.

I object to your focus on women not voting.

All people should vote. It isn't women's fault they had to fight for the right to vote.

The right to vote or not to vote, I might add

Yup, Emily Davison went on hunger -strike, was force-fed 49 times, and stood in front of George V's horse at the Epsom Derby in order that women had the right not to vote.

So you'd force women to vote then would you, Floral?

That isn't what the Suffragettes were fighting for. I actually think that posters doing a 'humphy' face and heckling are doing 'the cause' no favours at all. I vote but I wouldn't be moved by judgemental arses telling me to if I didn't.

Emily Davison and her 'crew' made it possible for women to have the RIGHT to vote and won us equality in voting - and for that I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

Time for the strident to perhaps take a leaf out of Emily's book and become an activist for making the policies actually meaningful for women - and legally binding in manifesto... that would be worth something. Being a keyboard warrior, not so much. Too many words, not enough deeds, to paraphrase.

:)

One of my code friends doesn't vote- she also isn't interested and doesn't see the point. We're both NHS employees and I know she cares deeply about the NHS (and our effective 14% pay cut in real terms!) so I also despair that this hasn't been enough to move her into action. What can you do eh?!

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