Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820 in Massachusetts. By the age of three Anthony could read, and was well versed in her love of learning. Anthony was extremely bright, and was one of the most active women suffragettes. She met Cady Stanton in 1851, and ever since then was a forerunner for the Women's Right Movement. She traveled around the United States giving speeches and protesting for Women's Rights. She was arrested in 1872 because she refused to pay the free the street car. She said she was protesting at the government's expensive. She was found guilty, and was fined $100, which of course she refused to pay.One reason why I chose to write about Anthony was her versatility and dedication. Anthony was not just a suffragette. She was a school teacher, an abolitionist, and writer. She used all of her talents to gian equal rights for all, not just women. While doing some reading on her, I found this quote, and I think it describes the whole attitude of the First Wave. She said, "Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences." To me this quote means a lot, and I found it quite reliant to some of today's issues like Gay marriage.
A recent Supreme Court case questioned the public's ability to have access to the names of the people who signed a petition against gay marriage. People who signed this petition were afraid of "intimidation" and did not want their names released. However, the court ruled against keeping the names privet. They signed a public petition and the rest of the nation has a right see that petition names and all.
Like Anthony said, if you believe in something you have to fight for it regardless of social discrimination, and I have to agree. If you want to make a change you have to be willing to stand for it publicly, and that is exactly what Anthony, and other suffragettes did.
What a relevant quote! I feel that there are so many people who philosophize, write blogs, or talk to their close family and friends about the change they wish to come about. However, in order to make a meaningful impact on any movement, people must stand out the herd, be hard headed, prepared for people to shun them and misunderstand their ideas to the point of anger. It is not an easy feat and that is why change comes about pretty slow; it is in the hands of a small portion of our society who is willing to risk all for a cause.
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