Actresses Scarlett Johansson and Kerry Washington urged convention-goers in Charlotte to exercise their right to vote, speaking particularly to young Americans who traditionally vote in low numbers.
Johansson discussed growing up in a low-income family in New York City and relying on the public services for school, transportation and lunches growing up.
We went to public schools and depended on programs for school transport and lunches, as did most of my friends. My girlfriends from high school to this day still depend on Planned Parenthood and often Medicaid for important health care services.
And she urged young people to get to the polls and vote in November. “In 2008, less than half of all eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 24 voted,” Johansson said. “Young America, why are we only speaking with half our voice when so many issues at stake here directly affect us?”
Washington spoke of the necessity to vote.
People say to me, “I’m just too busy to think about politics.” But here’s the thing: You may not be thinking about politics, but politics is thinking about you.
Today there are people trying take away rights that our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought for: our right to vote, our right to choose, affordable quality education, equal pay, access to health care. We the people can’t let that happen.
