Estelle Liebow Schultz, 98. Image via I Waited 96 Years!
There hasn’t been much to feel good about this election cycle (to put it quite lightly), which is why we were so delighted to write about Ruline Steininger, the 103-year-old Hillary voter from Iowa, earlier this month. Thankfully, we have even more bad-ass centenarian lady voters to celebrate thanks to I Waited 96 Years! Women Voting for Hillary Clinton, a site dedicated to honoring women voters born before the 19th amendment (which recognizes a woman’s right to vote) was ratified in 1920.
Sarah Bunin Benor and Roberta Schultz Benor were moved to launch the site after accompanying 98-year-old mother/grandmother Estelle Liebow Schultz to cast her absentee ballot for Hillary. They were moved by Estelle’s experience and wanted a way to share the experiences of other voters like her. The homepage currently features the stories of 22 women, but that number is likely to grow as the site gets more attention (submissions are encouraged here). Here are some stories we find particularly moving!
“This vote is not just because Hillary is woman, nor because I am a Democrat. It’s to show that we as women can do anything we want, especially when we have worked hard in our careers to obtain the experience necessary to excel. It’s nice to show my granddaughter and great-granddaughter that the sky is the limit and they can do anything a man can do. I’m proud to say that I’m with her.”
“This election means that women can achieve anything. In 1937 I was accepted into the medical school at Duke University. I decided not to attend because female students were required to sign a pledge stating that they would not marry while in school. The male students did not have to sign and did not have the same restriction. I did not think that this was fair.”
“I am looking forward to the 1st Female U.S. President. I believe Hillary will do an excellent job as President not because she is a woman but because she is most qualified.”
“Recently, I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and am now in home hospice. I am following this campaign carefully, and I decided that I would like to live long enough to see the election of our first woman president. When I was marking my absentee ballot for Hillary Clinton, it occurred to me that this wish is even more poignant, because I was born in 1918, two years before women achieved the right to vote. To see such an accomplishment in my lifetime is momentous. I encourage all of my fellow nonagenarians to follow me in marking your ballot with a sense of pride in a life long lived and a country making history.”
And last but not least, Helen Snook, 102…
“We cannot allow that disgraceful man to win.”
Give ’em hell, Helen.
These ladies are a reminder that it wasn’t so long ago that women were barred from full participation in US democracy. So be like them and vote Hillary November 8th!
Check out more at I Waited 96 Years!
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