Do you know who was born on this day 145 years ago?
A true trailblazer of equal rights and pacifism.
An outspoken hero for peace, and the first woman elected to the US Congress.
Jeannette Rankin, 1917
Meet Jeannette Rankin
I learned about her in college at the University of Montana. She grew up in the same city, Missoula, and went to the same university. She then campaigned for women’s suffrage and peace for over 70 years.
I recently finished a biography of her, and there are more examples of her bravery than I can fit here, so I want to focus on what she’s famous for:
She voted NO. When she got elected in 1916, the country was abuzz. Women didn’t even have the right to vote yet - who was this grassroots campaigner from Montana?
She and others even called her Congressman or woman Congressman - it was so novel no one apparently had time to think of the simple moniker Congresswoman. But she wasn’t inexperienced in political organizing - she’d already spent years working for suffrage and improving conditions for women, children, and the poor.
She clearly observed the private economic interests that push countries and politicians to war.
And in 1917, she had a chance to share her views with the whole country.
Rankin in 1917
Despite her plan to push for the women’s vote and equal rights, the country was debating entering World War I.
Friends, family, and even suffragist organizations pleaded with her to vote YES, saying it would be bad for suffrage and disastrous for her own career to do otherwise. People would think women were too soft for politics.
But when it was her turn to stand up in Congress and vote, she held to her convictions and said, “I want to stand by my country, but I cannot vote for war.”
Sure enough, she didn’t get reelected after that . . .
Until she ran again in 1940.
Another Chance
After the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the country again prepared for war. Again Jeannette had to vote yes or no.
Many people, including trusted friends, told her this war was different. They begged her to be sensible.
But she knew there’s nothing sensible about any war. As she said many years later regarding the Vietnam war:
“It isn’t a question of war against Germany, Japan or Vietnam. It’s just that the whole system is stupid. War is nothing more than a method of settling a dispute but it has nothing to do with the dispute. In fact you never have the same issues at the end of the war that were present in the beginning. Shooting a young man is no way to settle a political dispute. You cannot change opinion by force.”
So again in 1941 she voted NO on going to war, knowing she’d have no chance of reelection. She recalled a feeling of dread before the vote.
But after, she was at peace with herself, knowing she’d voted her conscience.
Rankin in 1973, months before her death
And for the rest of her life she continued to campaign and organize for peace, well through her 80s and even giving a speech months before her death at age 92.
You might point out her votes “did nothing” since the US entered both wars. But for me, she’s a powerful reminder that each of us can stand up for peace, even if those around us think it’s stupid or pointless.
So Happy Birthday Miss Rankin, first woman Congressman! Now let’s reflect.
Reflection Qs:
Do I act according to my principles in front of other people, like friends, coworkers, neighbors, or only when I’m alone?
Can I find peace with a decision I made that other people didn’t like?
What would give me the courage to stand up for peace?
May you find peace and the courage to stand up for peace today and in upcoming weeks.
Thanks for some of your precious time and attention!
In peace,
Juniper
This email and first photo by Juniper McKelvie, on the ancestral lands of the Bitterroot Salish in Western Montana.
Photo credits in order:
*Photo by Adam Cuerden - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ggbain.23837. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22988017
*By C. T. Chapman, Kensington, Md. (Photographer) - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID mnwp.156007. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66638486
