Shocked, I am.
March 1, 2012
Perusing the ‘pedia on the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution I found what I was looking for. I.e. just which States were dragging their heels on giving the wimminfolk the right to vote (like real citizens and everything!)
I was shocked, I tell you, shocked.
March 1, 2012 at 2:41 pm
It is surprising to see that Maryland dragged it feet and did not ratify until after Alabama and Virgina. There’s an Ogden Nash poem that goes something like, “To the South and to the North, Baltimore bounces back and forth.” There’s your proof.
The other lagging states are deep southern–less of a surprise, but perhaps they didn’t want the belles to get their pretty little hands messy on those clumsy old mechanical voting machines.
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March 1, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Vermont and Connecticut are not states that I would have predicted to be on that list.
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March 1, 2012 at 5:43 pm
What does it mean that Mississippi didn’t ratify it until 1984? Does that mean that women voting in Miss were doing it against state law?
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March 1, 2012 at 5:50 pm
I don’t know what MS state law is/was regarding female suffrage, but ratification of a Constitutional amendment is not the same as enactment of a state law. Just as a legal matter, a state could legalize something but oppose a federal amendment guaranteeing it, i.e. they want the option to curtail it later). Alternately, a state could ban something but vote for a federal amendment guaranteeing it, perhaps because they will only agree to allow something if it is nationwide.
Not that any of this excuses the failure to ratify the 19th when it was proposed, but as a legal matter there’s no direct line of causation between state statutes and legislative endorsement of a federal amendment.
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March 1, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Dude, you can look this fucken shitte uppe in the fucken US Constitution. Itte’s not that long a document.
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March 1, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Nam- once the Amandment passes, it’s the LAW. States can’t opt out. We fought a war over that some time ago, different issue though ….if you want to know the sides, click that link. It’ll be close enough. By amazin’ coincidence, no doubt.
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March 2, 2012 at 7:48 am
Poor, poor, PA. So far we have fallen.
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March 2, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Beaker, Maryland being late to the party isn’t too surprising when you add in the political power of the Roman Catholic Church down here.
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