The 19th Amendment Was A Mistake

About two weeks ago, I presented a prompt on your most unpopular opinion. I have been shunned so thoroughly that I forgot my most controversial opinion. This will likely piss some folks off. That’s okay. It’s an idea I first considered in my freshmen Psychology 101 course around 15 years ago when learning about “waffle” versus “spaghetti” brain. After a decade of steeping, I first shared the idea out loud around 5 years ago. Here it is:

The 19th amendment was a mistake. Women should not be allowed to vote.

Mind you, this is coming from a highly-educated, unmarried, 33-year-old female whom conducts thorough research before casting a ballot for any candidate or issue, and whom has volunteered on the campaign trail of local congressional representatives and senators. I understand and respect the political system. This unpopular opinion does not benefit me in the least but, I believe, would benefit society at large.

Please, let me explain.

First, a woman’s strength lies in her biological drive to nurture and her propensity towards empathy. These are wonderful qualities that should not be discounted. Women want to publicly fund school lunches, student debt forgiveness, and gender reaffirming surgeries because these are initiatives they view as helping individuals in need. That being said, civics and politics depend on sound logic and economic foresight. Generally speaking, and of course there are exceptions, women don’t consider the economic implications of a program that serves to benefit society. It feels absolutely necessary, at any cost. Furthermore, men tend towards reckless behavior slightly more than women, meaning women will nearly always represent a majority of voters, even if only by a small margin.

Second, the reality is, we are living in a matriarchal society. Men are not the leaders; women are. We’re not going to war, hunting for food, nor hand building houses to survive. Women are the narrators, and their appeals or entreaties affect men far and wide. Women have far more control in personal and family relationships than is commonly acknowledged, including the way households spend money, vote, and raise children. In addition to a lesser quantity of men available to vote, those in relationships may be pressured to make decisions in accordance with their partner’s strong, emotionally-driven opinions.

Third, there is a physiological difference in the wiring of the brains of men and women. Men tend to think logically and systematically. On the other hand, women tend to attach to each emotion and to each situation, making some type of connection. The reason men tend to think more analytically is due to the fact they rely sharply on the left side of their brain, whereas women have more of a balance between the right and left side of their brain. When it comes to matters of national security and economic stability, I would personally feel more confident with thoughtful analysis leading the way.

Finally, young men nowadays lack the strength and wherewithal of past generations. At the same time, women have adopted a feminist mindset and infiltrated traditionally masculine spaces. Again, this is not to say that women are not capable of critical thinking; many are and I would include myself in that group. However, millions of women across the nation are driven by stories and emotions. The media amplifies this pulling of heartstrings continually. Those narratives don’t have the backbone to support the sustainment, security, and enrichment of a large country over the longer term.

I think we’re on the wrong track and it’s too late to course-correct. The 19th amendment will never be repealed. The only alternative I can think of is a brief test for citizens to complete to prior to casting their vote. However, given that we don’t even require identification or proof of citizenship to vote, verifying knowledge of our system prior to participation in it sounds like the ultimate pipe dream.

As a woman highly capable of critical thinking and analysis, I would give up my right to vote if if meant that empathy–the cornerstone of womanhood and our greatest gift to humanity–were largely removed from politics and civil discourse. In a world constantly on edge, leave the nurturing to the home and classroom; bring masculine logic and strength back into the political sphere.