Opinion

OP-ED: The Value of Your Vote

Published

11 years ago

October 14, 2014

“The punishment which the wise suffer who refuse to take part in the government, is to live under the government of worse men.” Plato

The election season has definitely begun. Now is the time of politicians; polls and promises, but getting involved in politics should not just be a November occurrence. To be eligible to register to vote an individual must (1) be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election –some states allow 17 year olds to vote (2) be a U.S. citizen and (3) be a resident of the jurisdiction where the individual is registering.

Originally the U.S. Constitution did not define voter eligibility and in the early years of the Republic most states only allowed white male property owners to vote. White women could vote in New Jersey but still had to meet the property ownership requirement. Freed male slaves could vote in 4 states; Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire and New York. After the Civil War ended in 1865 the Republican Congress passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and the 14th Amendment providing full citizenship rights for Blacks. Congress insisted that the Southern states ratify these Amendments before they could be readmitted into the United States. Because the Rebels had their voting rights suspended during Reconstruction the Republican Party (party of Lincoln and abolition) became the political majority in the South. In Texas 42 Blacks were elected to the State Legislature, 50 to the South Carolina Legislature, 127 to Louisiana’s and 99 to Alabama’s.

“These Republican legislatures moved quickly to protect voting rights for blacks, prohibit segregation, establish public education, and open public transportation, State police, juries, and other institutions to blacks.(It is noteworthy that the blacks serving both in the federal and State legislatures during that time forgivingly voted for amnesty for the Rebels.) “ David Barton the History of Black Voting Rights

The Democratic response to this voting empowerment of Black Americans were Poll Taxes, Literacy tests, Grandfather clauses, White-only primaries, physical intimidation and violence. These tactics would greatly reduce the voting percentages of Blacks. In Selma, Alabama the voting rolls were 99 percent white and 1 percent black even though there were more black residents than whites in that city. Black voters in Florida and Alabama were reduced by nearly 90 percent. By the 1940’s, only 5 percent of blacks in the South were registered to vote.

In October 2014 we sometimes forget the value and the price paid for our vote. Your vote is precious and should be handled as such. When you vote, you are hiring a politician to take responsibility for your income, your rights, your freedoms, your schools, your overall welfare and even the roads upon which you travel. When you vote this November make sure the candidate has your values and has a vision for your future and will fight for that future. Study the candidates, study the platforms, and study the issues. Refuse to let your vote be taken for granted!

Voting matters and your vote counts.

Oakland Post

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Advice

BOOK REVIEW: Let Me Be Real With You

At first look, this book might seem like just any other self-help offering. It’s inspirational for casual reader and business reader, both, just like most books in this genre. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll spot what makes “Let Me Be Real With You” stand out.

Published

3 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Book cover of Let Me Be Real With You and author Arshay Cooper. Courtesy of HarperOne.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Author: Arshay Cooper, Copyright: c.2025, Publisher: HarperOne, SRP: $26.00, Page Count: 40 Pages

The hole you’re in is a deep one.

You can see the clouds above, and they look like a storm; you sense the wind, and it’s cold. It’s dark down there, and lonesome, too. You feel like you were born there — but how do you get out of the deep hole you’re in? You read the new book “Let Me Be Real With You” by Arshay Cooper. You find a hand-up and bring someone with you.

In the months after his first book was published, Cooper received a lot of requests to speak to youth about his life growing up on the West Side of Chicago, his struggles, and his many accomplishments. He was poor, bullied, and belittled, but he knew that if he could escape those things, he would succeed. He focused on doing what was best, and right. He looked for mentors and strove to understand when opportunities presented themselves.

Still, his early life left him with trauma. Here, he shows how it’s overcome-able.

We must always have hope, Cooper says, but hope is “merely the catalyst for action. The hope we receive must transform into the hope we give.”

Learn to tell your own story, as honestly as you know it. Be open to suggestions, and don’t dismiss them without great thought. Know that masculinity doesn’t equal stoicism; we are hard-wired to need other people, and sharing “pain and relatability can dissipate shame and foster empathy in powerful ways.”

Remember that trauma is intergenerational, and it can be passed down from parent to child. Let your mentors see your potential. Get therapy, if you need it; there’s no shame in it, and it will help, if you learn to trust it. Enjoy the outdoors when you can. Learn self-control. Give back to your community. Respect your financial wellness. Embrace your intelligence. Pick your friends and relationships wisely. “Do it afraid.”

And finally, remember that “You were born to soar to great heights and rule the sky.”

You just needed someone to tell you that.

With a willingness to discuss the struggles he tackled in the past, Cooper writes with a solidly honest voice that’s exceptionally believable, and not one bit dramatic. You won’t find unnecessarily embellished stories or tall tales here, either; Cooper instead uses his real experiences to help readers understand that there are few things that are truly insurmountable. He then explains how one’s past can shape one’s future, and how today’s actions can change the future of the world.

“Let Me Be Real With You” is full of motivation, and instruction that’s do-able for adults and teens. If you need that, or if you’ve vowed to do better this coming year, it might help make you whole.