Many were bloodied for us to gain the right to vote so use it don’t abuse it.

What an amazing moment to see Rep. John Lewis, who is fighting stage 4 cancer, come and speak at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where 50 years ago he suffered a concussion with others protesting for the right to vote. Selma is what brought me into the King movement as a student. On that Sunday morning I saw white uniformed men with gas masks on horseback beating down men, women and children. That scene affected me so badly I joined the student voter rights movement in Tennessee and we ended up being chased by the Klan, barely escaping with our lives. Roadblocks were set up for us and we thought we would never see our parents again. We did make it, but many blacks and whites died fighting for that right to vote. So when I hear blacks say they are not going to vote, I hope they know that right was paid for in blood. To squander it or not use it gives that power to those who want to destroy us. And silence also speaks, one of the worst crimes of all when the good people do nothing.