President’s Column, September 2022
How would you explain the work of the League of Women Voters to someone? As August drew to a close, Willa Reister and I took up that challenge when we joined other community organizations at the Oak Ridge Preschool’s Annual Family Resource Fair. Each organization was set up in the school gym with a table from which to ply its wares. Willa and I utilized our space to do what League members do best--we registered new voters. We also distributed the LWVOR brochure and sought to share our own sense of the League’s importance.
What would you share under those circumstances? Although we registered six new voters on the spot and sent several application forms home to be filled out later, we encountered several parents who expressed cynicism concerning the value of voting at all. Others proudly assured us they were already registered and fully intended to vote. Some listened with interest as we described the League of Women Voters as having emerged out of the Suffrage Movement of the last century. Others were pleased to hear the League had been present in Oak Ridge for 75 years, seeking to help our community address issues emerging on the local, state, and national levels in an informed and timely manner. Most of all, the young parents seemed to appreciate that we invited their participation as responsible citizens without demanding they conform to our own party line.
As we prepare to enter a new League year, we will again be challenged to live out who we are. According to LWVUS, we are a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights in an effort to ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels.
Plan to join us this year as we seek to expand and strengthen the League’s work in Oak Ridge. Join us for our first meeting on September 20 as we review our proud history while opening the door to new members. Add your name to the ranks of those of us who will be reaching out in the coming weeks to enlist new voters during this significant election year. Be prepared to grow your understanding by participating in our informative Lunch with the League gatherings (Zoom, in- person and/or hybrid, as COVID allows, and plan to join us on October 23 at Melton Park for an enjoyable Fall Round-up and on December 4 at the 201 Café in Jackson Square for our Holiday Party as we purposefully meet face- to-face to renew our friendships after two years of being distanced from one another.
And finally, for 2022, that is, plan to be a part of our November 1 Zoom Forum on “The Impact of Overturning Roe v. Wade on People in TN,” noon to 1:40 p.m. Our four panelists will include Corrine Rovetti—Family Nurse Practitioner, Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health; State Senator London Lamar-- from Memphis, District 33; Chloe Akers, Knoxville Defense Attorney and Founder and Board Member of Standing Together Tennessee; and Dr. Nikki B. Zite--Knoxville OB-GYN physician affiliated with UTK Medical Center. The Moderator will be Dr. Carole Myers-- Professor in the UTK College of Nursing, who teaches graduate-level health policy and health services courses and coordinates an inter-disciplinary graduate certificate program in health policy. She is also the creator and co-host of HealthConnections on WUOT-FM.
The coming months look promising for us to learn and do more in our task of “making Democracy work.” Do plan to be a part of what is to come as we work together to live out our identity.
Carolyn Dipboye, President, LWVOR