Vote. Vote For Your Candidate, But Vote Because You Can
When it comes to elections and elected officials, I am cynical. To me, it’s almost as if, when a person wants to get elected, just wanting to be elected is an indication that they are unfit for office. Elected office attracts narcissists, men and women hooked on power, people with a void in their hearts which only the acclamation of the crowd can fill . . . and a few good candidates.
If you are a woman and if you know anything about how hard it was for women to get the vote, please, vote. (If you don’t know anything about our fight to vote, click here.) Please be sure to read the comments, too, as the article was written the first year the Kuwaiti women were allowed to vote, and I was writing in Kuwait.
Before you go out to vote, here is some wisdom from the book of Psalms (from today’s readings in The Lectionary) It’s all about power, the illusion of power, and where power actually rests. It will give you hope and courage. Then – go vote. đ
Psalm 62
To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
3 How long will you assail a person,
will you batter your victim, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.
Selah
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honour;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
according to their work.
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Here There and Everywhere 
Actually, women in Kuwait demonstrated outside the parliament building in May 2005 when inside a majority of male MP voted in favor of women’s right to vote (and run for office). I remember the day of victory very well. The first election when women voted for the National Assembly was in June 2006. I interviewed some of my progressive female students and they had mixed feelings about it. Fundamentalists (with four wifes and plenty of daughters) would get ‘more votes’ since they would put a lot of pressure on their womenfolk. Quite reasonable argument. In fact, it was only in the 2009 elections when the first four women were elected MP. Then I had left the country for good already.
You are right, Fahad, and I was there in 2006 when the women first voted. I mixed up the date, but I will never forget the elation of those women, voting for the first time. đ
Intlxpatr :
Another mile stone for women in the Gulf , First woman finally elected to the Bahraini Parlement last week
Woooo HOOOO! How are the women doing in Kuwait, Daggero? I always hope we will do better but the inner cynic says that we are probably equal to men in every way, including abuse of power.
Intlxpatr :
The scorecard is not very encouraging
One candidate is a big disappointment everyone voted for her but she turned out a sectarian type , they blog showed a copy of a land title granted to her by the government worth about $1.5 million
Another one seems to think that her main job is defending the Prime Minster
The Third one is a total wacko , she blurts out statements like “Don’t politicize the political system ” or “Corruption is a healthy sign ” She managed to get her husband selected to head the top disabled institute in Kuwait with a big salary and benefits
The fourth and last one is doing very well
So the score for women representatives is 1 out of 4
One out of four . . . (sigh)
Would you say that this is about the percentage of men doing very well (assuming by ‘doing very well’ we are talking about protecting the national security and interests and resources of Kuwait, and not doing well by lining one’s pockets)?