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September 2020
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One Right You Don’t Want to Take for Granted
Why Yo u Sho u l d Vo t e
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
Supreme Court ruled against suffrage in a case called Minor v. Happersett. It was this defeat that gave suffragists a new focus: They wanted to change the Constitution. Though this took decades, it did eventually happen. It goes to show that change is possible, but monumental change — and changing prevalent ways of thinking — does take time. It also shows just how important voting is and that it should not be taken for granted. It’s common for voters to feel discouraged. They may say, “My vote doesn’t matter.” Or they may live in an area where they feel their voice won’t be heard or that their vote will be canceled out by the majority. Many younger people feel that their vote won’t make a difference. The truth is that no matter the situation, your vote does matter. If you feel that your voice won’t be heard so you choose not to vote, then yes, your voice won’t be heard. Not voting is equivalent to staying silent on matters that impact you, your community, and your country. Every vote does make a difference. As we approach national elections this fall, there are several dates to keep in mind. The last day to register to vote in Texas is Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. By registering to vote by this date, you can cast your ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 — Election Day. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 23, and the deadline to return your absentee ballot is Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m.
On Aug. 18, 1920, women gained the right to vote in the United States. That was the day the 19th Amendment was ratified by the U.S. Congress and states across the union, and voting became a constitutional right for all people, regardless of their sex. This hard-fought battle went back decades. Suffragists had been actively fighting for voter equality since the 1800s. Early women’s rights movements in the United States date back to the 1840s, when groups began to form. In 1848, the first women’s rights convention — the Seneca Falls Convention — took place in Seneca Falls, New York, organized by Quaker women in the area. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a prominent suffragist of the time, also helped organize the event. There, participants discussed women’s suffrage in earnest and had many spirited debates. Interestingly enough, Frederick Douglass participated in those debates. Some of the attendees believed the right to vote was not a worthy cause to pursue, while others, including Douglass, fought hard for it. This convention marked the first of many gatherings, conventions, events, and protests along the path to the 19th Amendment. In 1869, the first nationwide organizations were formed. In fact, two competing organizations were formed — one established by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony and the second by Lucy Stone. Several years later in 1890, the organizations came together and became the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), which was led by Anthony. But before that happened, suffragists fought, filed lawsuits, and even went up against the Supreme Court. In 1875, the
Register to vote online at Register2Vote.org and learn more about voting in Texas at VoteTexas.gov. Let your voice be heard this November.
-Greg Herrman
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Is Stress Harming Your Memory? How to Cope With Daily Triggers
Stress can cause more than just a bad mood and low energy. Over time, mental exhaustion from stress can lead to forgetfulness and reduced cognition. This can hamper your ability to do
figure out why they’re causing you stress and how the situation can be remedied. Dealing with a work-related confrontation can be hard,
but having that difficult conversation and resolving the problem can ultimately lead to less long-term stress and improve your mental health.
your job and enjoy life. Though stress is unavoidable, there are steps you can take to mitigate some of the negative effects of mental exhaustion, including forgetfulness.
Another thing you can do to reduce stress is avoid multitasking. Taking on multiple projects or doing too much in too little time can leave you feeling overworked. Plus, studies have found that multitasking is not effective. You cannot deliver the same results
First, consider the source of your stress. These days, a common stressor is social media. If your feeds are full of bad news and
when your attention is scattered as you can when you are focused on one thing. To make matters worse, multitasking takes a major toll on memory and cognition, according to a study from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. If stress is impairing your memory, judgment, or cognition, take the above steps to reduce it. If you find your memory and cognition aren’t improving, consider speaking with a mental health professional to discuss your best next steps. Mental health and stress management are important, and the more we do to improve these areas of our lives, the healthier and happier we will be.
negativity, shut them down. Many researchers suggest that spending less time on the internet leads to better health. Several studies have found that constant internet use, including time spent on social media, is negatively impacting our memories. Research from Harvard, Oxford, King’s College London, and Western Sydney University all confirm this: Too much internet use is a bad thing. Of course, it can be easier to delete a social media app than it is to eliminate other types of stressors. Coping with a stressful coworker, for example, can be difficult. You have to
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“Gregory Herrman is a very experienced and professional attorney. I’m glad we used his firm.” –Carrie L.
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Small Cars Have Higher Driver Death Rates
A recent analysis of driver death rates in car accidents tells us that size matters and smaller is deadlier, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS reported in May 2020 that despite manufacturers’ efforts to make small cars safer, the smallest late-model cars and minicars accounted for 15 of the 20 models with the highest fatality rates for model year 2017. Meanwhile, larger luxury sport utility vehicles accounted for nearly half of the 20 models with the lowest death rates. The rates include only driver deaths because all vehicles on the road have drivers, the IIHS explains. The number of deaths is derived from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
The rise is consistent with a larger number of U.S. traffic fatalities over the four-year period covered by this study, compared with the previous one. From 2015 to 2018 there were 147,324 fatalities, compared with 134,905 from 2012 to 2015. Why do small cars have higher driver death rates? “Smaller vehicles offer less protection for the driver in crashes, and their lighter mass means that they take the brunt of collisions with larger vehicles,” Joe Nolan, IIHS senior vice president of vehicle research, said in the report. A vehicle’s ability to resist forces colliding with it — its mass — affects the damage it sustains in a collision. The more mass a vehicle has, the less impact a collision has on it. Conversely, the more mass and momentum a vehicle has, the more resistant it is to change, such as slowing down when a driver applies the brakes. Simply put, a bigger car withstands a collision better and will cause more damage if it hits a smaller car. The force of impact in a collision increases with speed. Because of their size, smaller cars have less structural protection to protect a driver from sustaining fatal injuries in a crash. The IIHS found that minicars have the highest overall death rate of any vehicle category with 82 fatalities per million registered vehicle years, and very large SUVs have the lowest at 15.
Fatal car accidents are up across the board. “The average driver
death rate for all 2017 models increased to 36 deaths, compared with 30 for 2014
models,” according to the IIHS, an automotive testing organization.
Sudoku
Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak
INGREDIENTS
* * * * *
2 garlic cloves, sliced
*
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp dried oregano
* * *
1 3-lb flank steak Kosher salt, to taste
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
4. Remove steak frommarinade and let excess marinade drip off. Sprinkle the steak lightly with salt and pepper. 5. Light grill and oil grates with olive oil. 6. Grill steak over moderate heat for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway through, until steak is lightly charred and the internal temperature reaches 125 F. 7. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice, drizzle reserved sauce, and serve.
1. Combine garlic, rosemary, oregano, mustard, and vinegar in a blender. Purée until garlic is minced. 2. Add oil and continue blending until creamy, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/4 cup. 3. Place steak in a ceramic or glass
baking dish and cover steak with the remaining marinade. Turn to coat the other side, cover, and let marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
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Inside This ISSUE
Let Your Voice Be Heard in November Page 1
Is Stress Making You Forgetful? Hear What People Are Saying About Us Page 2 Small Cars and Safety — Should You Be Concerned? Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak Page 3 The Truth Behind the 21st Night of September Page 4
What Happened on the 21st Night of September? 4 Decades of Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘September’
“Do you remember the 21st night of September?”
process, Willis begged to change the phrase to real words. At the final vocal session, Willis finally demanded to know what ba-dee-ya meant. White replied, “Who cares?” “I learned my greatest lesson ever in songwriting from him,” Willis recalled in a 2014 interview with NPR, “which was never let the lyric get in the way of the groove.” The groove is why “September” has stood the test of time, right from that very first lyric. For decades, people have asked Willis and members of the band about the significance of Sept. 21. As it turns out, there isn’t much beyond the sound. “We went through all the dates: ‘Do you remember the first, the second, the third, the fourth …’ and the one that just felt the best was the 21st,” Willis explained.
In 1978, Maurice White of the band Earth, Wind & Fire first asked this question in the song “September,” a funky disco song that quickly topped the charts. While disco may be dead today, “September” certainly isn’t. The song is still featured in movies, TV shows, and wedding playlists. On Sept. 21, 2019, the funk hit was streamed over 2.5 million times. It’s no wonder that the Los Angeles City Council declared Sept. 21 Earth, Wind & Fire Day. The story behind “September” is almost as enduring as the song itself. It was co-written by White and Allee Willis, who eventually became a Grammy-winning songwriter and Tony nominee. But before any of that, Willis was a struggling songwriter in Los Angeles living off food stamps. When White reached out and asked Willis to help write the next Earth, Wind & Fire hit, it was truly her big break. White and Willis proved to be excellent songwriting partners, but they clashed over one key element of the song: the nonsensical phrase “ba- dee-ya,” which White included in the chorus. Throughout the songwriting
The truth is that nothing happened on the 21st night of September — except a whole lot of dancing.
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