Dying For A Right To Vote & Our Modern Day Democracy EP 047

In this video I share the story of Martin Luther publishing the 95 Theses in 1517 due to corruption by the church and monarchs of his day. This led to political and social turmoil in Europe that is known as the reformation, which inspired a continent and ultimately the world. You see, Martin Luther took on the Catholic church and monarchs by letting common folks know that they didn't need to go to a priest to pay for the forgiveness of their sins. Instead they could pray directly to God and be forgiven. This greatly upset the church because it reduced their cashflow and as a result, They put a bounty on Martin Luther's head, but he was able to find shelter with local princes in Germany. His 95 Theses had a major impact because it was translated into multiple languages and printed and distributed all over Europe. This was made possible by the invention of the Gutenberg Press, which was the greatest technological advance of its time. What started in 1517 led to the Enlightenment Era nearly 130 years later. Because it became widely accepted that all men could go to God directly, political and social leaders like John Locke realized that the only way to make all men equal in the eyes of the government was to creating a system where every man had an equal right to vote for their local and national leadership. As a result, voting became the most powerful way to participate in the political process. While African American's were supposed to be able to vote in 1866 after the civil war, many Southern states had discriminatory laws that prohibited African Americans from voting. In later years Susan B. Anthony in America and Emmeline Pankhurst in England fought for Women to have the right to vote. Ultimately, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave all African Americans the right to vote. When we look at history, true power starts at the polls in modern societies. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and John F. Kennedy all understood this and that is why they were assassinated. In the eyes of the law we are all equal because we all have the right to vote. If you Don't vote you don't matter in the eyes of those in power. Let your voice and vote be heard if you truly want to facilitate change. This is especially true when it comes to local elections.

#historyofvoting #historyofdemocracy #biblicalorigins #votingday #election #electionday #martinlutherking #martinluther #malcomx #jfk