All Hail Garage Sales and Voting Rights!

My wife and I are planning a garage sale. These plans are nearly two-years running! We continue to bring potential sale-items into the garage and we have now reached a point that makes it impossible to park the automobile in a narrow space without one standing in front directing the driver. The garage sale delay causes are weather (too hot, too cold, too rainy, possible snow), guests coming for the weekend or we're going out-of-town for the weekend.

I suggested to my wife that we could find time by scheduling a mid-week garage sale thus avoiding the Saturday conflicts. With a stunned  crinkled eyebrow frown, she said in condescending tones, "You can't have a garage sale mid-week; garage sales are HELD on Saturdays!" I did not know that 'Saturday garage sales only' had become an American mores. I pressed her for the reasoning behind the sanctity of Saturday garage sales and she explained, "More people are off work on Saturdays so more possible buyers show-up." I told my wife that I reject such a notion because if that were true, our government would arrange 'all' national elections to be on Saturdays for the benefit of 'more people' showing up! She laughed at my statement and said that I knew better. Sadly, I do know the reason that national elections are NOT on Saturdays; America has a greater tradition in voter suppression than Saturday garage sales!

A review of America's voting rights history reveals: In the beginning only 'white men who owned property could vote.' In 1866, 'free black men' gained voting rights through the 14th Amendment. Native American and Latinos got the right to vote in 1887, if they denounced tribal affiliations. In 1920, the 19th Amendment gave women the voting right and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, gave all minorities and persons of 'color' the right to vote.

Throughout the history, 'wealthy-white men' continue with attempts to alter the voting process and thus suppress many from voting. In recent years, many people were denied voting access because of literacy tests. Today, we observed immoral practices by using voter I.D. cards or placing polling places in areas and at distances making it difficult for non-auto owners to access.

I suspect that the grand-garage sale will remain a popular 'middle-class' Saturday exercise for the common folks as will Tuesday's 6 A.M.-to-7 P.M. voting tradition. That's the way 'Big Daddy' wants it!