This is the story of our Mothers and Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers who lived only 90 years ago.  Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. 
 
The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.  And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.  Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden’s blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of ‘obstructing sidewalk traffic.’ 
 
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. 
 
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women. 
 
Thus unfolded the ‘Night of Terror’ on Nov. 14, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson’s White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women’s only water came from an open pail. Their food–all of it colorless slop–was infested with worms. 
 
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press. 
 
HBO’s 2004 movie ‘Iron Jawed Angels’ is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that we could pull the curtain at the polling booth.  HBO released the movie on video and DVD (click link to purchase on Amazon).  

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn’t make her crazy. 
 
The doctor admonished the men: ‘Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.’ 
 
We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. 

Story verification on Snopes.com

Become a fan of WENDIE FINNAN WEB SITE SERVICES

The easiest way to start is from an existing fan page.  You can visit mine by searching for WENDIE FINNAN WEB SITE SERVICES or clicking on the link (and what the heck, as long as you’re there, become a fan!).

Scroll down the page, watching the left side.  At the bottom of the left column is a link to “create a fan page for my business”.  Click on that link.

T his will bring you to “Create a Page”.

You will select your business type, page name and select the box signifying that you are the official representative of the business.

Click on the button “Create Official Page”.

You will then be brought to your page where you can upload your logo or an image and fill in your page content.

Now, in 5 minutes we can be in Greece!  Oopa!

Several times a week we drive to the sponge docks – sometimes just for a fast ride through to soak up the atmosphere and make sure “our” neighborhood businesses are prospering.  It is funny how we have taken “ownership” of the area and worry about how business is doing. We LOVE to see lots of tourists milling about buying all sorts of treasures.  As you drive down the street delightful smells drift past, especially from the restaurants and soap shops – it is just the best!  People tell me the sponge docs look essentially the same as they did 50 years ago.  Want proof?  Check out the movie “Under the Twelve Mile Reef” for a glimpse of 1953 Tarpon Springs!   

When we aren’t just taking a ride, we, and “we” includes our little dog, Winslow, because it is not fun without him, find a parking spot and take a walk.  Most people are so happy to see this funny little dog trotting a long as if he owns the place and the shop keepers are so nice about letting him come in and visit.  He LOVES to shop! 

Inevitably we buy some bread or Greek pastries from one of the bakeries, and let’s face it, who can resist being drawn into a soap store… next thing you know you are walking out with clove infused soap (which is such a nice treat and provides such nice memories of your visit every day you use it).

If you are in the Clearwater area take a ride to Tarpon Springs – it really is a fun place to visit.

2010 Census to Begin WARNING: 2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data. The big question is – how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? The BBB offers the following advice: **

If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a hand held device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home. ** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS. While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by e-mail, so be on the lookout for e-mail scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an e-mail that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau. For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit http://www.bbb.org/

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