MIRACLE MOMENTS®
“The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by human beings for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison people because they are different from others.” President Lyndon B. Johnson
A MESSAGE from Founder/Director, CYNTHIA BRIAN Cynthia Brian
On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. The need for the law was explained in its full title: “An Act to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and for other purposes.” Why is voting important? I like the phrase “voting is the language of democracy.” Through voting, we express our values, priorities, and opinions.
In the 1960s, young men were being drafted at age eighteen to fight in Vietnam, yet they were not old enough to vote. Although the slogan, “old enough to fight, old enough to vote,” had its beginnings during World War II, it was the outrage over the undeclared war in Vietnam that resulted in the signing of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment on July 5, 1971, by President Richard Nixon, lowering the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen. Of the 58,000 United States service members killed, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial indicates that 33,103 were eighteen. These teenagers fought and died for a country in which they were not allowed to vote for or against the leaders that conscripted them.
I remember the first time I had the privilege of voting. I diligently studied the people, policies, and programs presented on the ballot with a deep determination to discover what would be best for the majority of people in our nation. Being part of a “party” didn’t interest me. Politics has been referred to as a blood sport with special interest groups and wealthy donors attempting to influence outcomes with their money. Corruption, scandals, and broken campaign promises have compromised many politicians. Independence, integrity, character, fairness, truth, kindness, and inclusion are top of mind for me when I cast my vote.
When ending my weekly radio broadcast, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!®, I urge listeners to be their unapologetically authentic selves. Everyone counts. This is critical when voting. Study the issues. Study the individuals. Study the proposals. Look behind the curtain. Will you be proud of your vote?
“The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King
Your vote counts. VOTE!
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org
https://greatnonprofits.org/org/be-the-star-you-are-inc
DONATE: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504
DONATE: https://givebutter.com/BTSYA
A TEEN WEIGHS IN ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO VOTE
by Keerthi Eraniyan
Women’s voting rights mean more to me than simply having the right to fill out a ballot. As a teenager and a woman of color, voting represents having a voice in decisions that shape my future and the future of communities like mine.
I grew up understanding that democracy is not automatic; people had to fight to make voting more inclusive. Women were once told that politics was not a place for their voices to be heard, and women of color faced even greater barriers to overcome. Today, I can look at a ballot and know that my voice carries the same weight as anyone else’s.
Though I’m not old enough to vote yet, I think about the responsibility that comes with that right. Voting means paying attention, asking questions, and caring about issues beyond myself to be an active and productive citizen. To me, women’s voting rights represent progress in our society and a reminder that democracy only works when everyone has the opportunity to participate and be heard.
Keerthi is a high schooler from San Ramon, California, and a long-standing host for the Express Yourself! Teen Radio Show and a volunteer with Be the Star You Are!® She is passionate about democracy and youth voices. Listen to her latest episode on whether our courts are saving democracy: https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/can-the-courts-save-democracy/
VOTE FOR KINDNESS
by Karen Kitchel
Deciding who to vote for is tough—especially when candidates often seem to sound the same.
If you want to know what a politician will do for you tomorrow, look at what they did for others yesterday. Look for proven acts of kindness. If lifting up the less fortunate is important to you, vote for leaders who prove their values with consistent action.
We can also bring kindness directly to the polls. Smile at the people waiting in line with you. Take a moment to say a warm “thank you” to the poll workers volunteering their time to make our democracy work.
Bring joy to the polls, and let’s make our voices heard – and keep our communities kind.
“Kindness gets results where all other methods fail.” Alan Cohen
Karen Kitchel is the Kindness Coordinator volunteer with BTSYA. She purchased the book No Barnyard Bullies as a gift for every kindergarten student at the school where she volunteers as a teacher. www.scatteringkindness.com You can read more about Karen’s adoption story in the book Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers. https://www.bethestaryouare.org/book-gift .
THE 19TH AMENDMENT
By Gowri Kamatchi
Following the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, the women’s suffrage movement evolved from a localized gathering into a highly organized nationwide campaign, led by key figures like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The movement sharpened into a tactical dual strategy: Alice Paul’s radical National Woman’s Party applied public pressure through silent White House pickets and high-profile parades, while Carrie Chapman Catt’s National American Woman Suffrage Association systematically lobbied individual states to secure crucial legislative voting blocks.
World War I served as the ultimate catalyst, converting abstract debate into practical necessity. Women mobilized the home front by operating munitions plants, running the American Red Cross, and managing agricultural output through the Woman’s Land Army. Faced with this undeniable economic dependence and rising global embarrassment, President Woodrow Wilson finally endorsed the measure in 1918 as a vital war effort, triggering a dramatic single-vote victory in the Tennessee legislature on August 18, 1920.
Ratified in 1920, the 19th Amendment is a cornerstone of American democracy that fundamentally transformed the nation’s political landscape. At its core, the amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying a citizen the right to vote based on sex. In just 28 words, it dismantled a core barrier to democracy and brought millions of women directly into the voting booth.
My name is Gowri Kamatchi. I am a content creator volunteer with Be the Star You Are!®, and I am a 17-year-old senior. I have a deep interest in global issues, journalism, and climate policies. My hobbies are reading, listening to music, and rollerblading.
TEEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
Hi Cynthia!
I wanted to share this news clipping of Kirpa Gill with you. Another way your students are making an impact on their community. You are such a great mentor, and I know that the platform you provide to each of your reporters and hosts helps build their confidence. When you see Kirpa talking to the reporter, this shows! Thank you for all you do! Manmeet Bains
A Modesto High School student is leading a fundraising and supply drive to support families affected by the Gann Fire. https://www.kcra.com/article/stanislaus-county-students-raise-funds-for-gann-fire-victims/73397459
Kirpa Gill has been a volunteer with Be the Star You Are!® and host/reporter on Express Yourself!® Teen Radio since 2022. BTSYA applauds Kirpa for using her platform to help survivors of this wildfire. On August 30, she will host a radio broadcast discussing her work with LeadHER Up. Tune in at https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/
VOTE FOR BE THE STAR YOU ARE!®
It’s Vote Frenzy Week at MyGivingCircle — VOTE for Be the Star You Are!® to help us win a grant.. You can vote once every 24 hours for free, all week. Help BTSYA win a share of $$$ in grants: https://mygivingcircle.org/be-the-star-you-are/vote?affiliate=mgcCshare. You can vote and also donate in one place. Just VOTE, no donation necessary. Thanks!
OUR RADIO BROADCASTS INSPIRE AND COMMUNICATE
Every week, under the auspices of Be the Star You Are!® charity and produced by StarStyle® Productions, LLC, listeners are encouraged and inspired on our two international radio broadcasts, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® and Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio. StarStyle® is a lifestyle program bringing information and innovative ideas that will help with daily living, while Express Yourself!™ is hosted by teens, for teens, with discussions about everything and anything that interests youth today. Both programs are unedited, uncensored, and unapologetically authentic.
Listen to StarStyle®-Be the STAR You Are!® on your favorite platforms:
Voice America: https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/starstyle-be-the-star-you-are/
Libsyn: https://sites.libsyn.com/556617
Apple iTunes:
Tunein: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Motivational/StarStyle---Be-the-Star-You-Are-p46014/
Stitcher/Pandora:https://www.pandora.com/podcast/starstyle-r-be-the-star-you-are-r/PC:78074
IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-starstyle-be-the-star-you-250385017
Spotify:
Pocketcasts: https://pca.st/mjw2ng5n
Listen to all Express Yourself!™ Teen shows on your favorite platforms:
Voice America: https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/
Libsyn:https://sites.libsyn.com/560220
Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id481894121
Tunein: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Young-Adult/Express-Yourself-p401071/
Stitcher: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/express-yourself/PC:74325
iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-express-yourself-31136273/
Spotify:
(2022 and earlier)
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/1001492171
BOOKS AND MERCH
Books: A great way to support Be the Star You Are!® and give a gift that continues to give is to buy books as a donation through our portal. Check out our Book Package: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/book-gift
Amazon Store: Be the Star You Are!® has a book shop on Amazon with the lowest prices available. Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
Book Reviews: Books read by youth for all ages and honestly reviewed. https://www.bethestaryouare.org/book-reviews
Merch: Find well-made clothing and hats with the Be the Star You Are!® logo at https://www.bonfire.com/store/be-the-star-you-are-merch/. Numerous colors and styles are appropriate for all ages. A percentage of the proceeds benefits Be the Star You Are!®
ABOUT BE THE STAR YOU ARE!®
Be the Star You Are!® is an all-volunteer organization that operates through contributions, in-kind donations, and proceeds from fundraising events.
Be the Star You Are!® does not receive state or federal funding and is solely dependent on contributions from the community and corporations.
Be the Star You Are!® is consistently honored as a TOP NON-PROFIT by Guidestar and Great Non-Profits.
Be the Star You Are!® supports all ethnicities and has no religious or political agendas or affiliations.
Be the Star You Are!® is proud to have been serving the community, country, and world since 1999.
DONATE: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504
DONATE: https://givebutter.com/BTSYA
“The right to vote is the crown jewel of American liberties.” President Ronald Reagan