Intent on voting, Pa. woman, 95, calls 911 (Democrat)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15960620.htm

Anna Urban has been voting since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president and wasn't about to miss an election.

When the 95-year-old Reading resident didn't have a ride to the polls Tuesday, she didn't hesitate. She dialed 911.

Dispatchers forwarded the call to the Berks County Election Services office, where it was considered a compliment.

"To call 911 and ask for help to vote really says a lot," said Deborah M. Olivieri, election services director. "It meant a lot to everyone in this office; it made us feel what we do is worthwhile."

County Commissioner Judith L. Schwank immediately picked up Urban, and Urban walked to the voting booth at Millmont Elementary School on her arm.

"All my life I voted," said Urban, a Democrat, who cast her first ballot in the 1930s. "You need to vote to be a good citizen."

Love you Anna Urban! You're my voter of 2006! And kudos to the 911 and election officials of Berks County! :patriot:

[pacalo]

1. This should be on the "greatest" page. What a story!

[acmavm]

3. Yes it should. It has three votes so far.

[damntexdem]

57. Mine made it 127,

It still needs more.

[TAPat]

2. Not the first time I've cried today and I hope

it won't be the last! :patriot:

[mom cat]

11. Me too! That made me well up with sheer delight!

Nothing can keep a good woman down and away from her sence of duty! :grouphug:

[Tight_rope]

25. 3nd time i've cried today...it's all too much good news to take...

But I'll accept every bit of it. I'll soak it up like a sponge, because the bad new for the last 6 years has been more then I wanted to ever bare.

[myrna minx]

13. Me too.

:patriot:

[Vert]

75. Me too.

And it's all from good news.

[dpbrown]

4. What a hero!!!!!

Someone send her flowers!!!!

[dpbrown]

71. Have we sent her flowers yet???????

We need to send this lady flowers. She needs to know what an inspiration she is.

[katinmn]

5. that is a great story

heartwarming:)

[NastyRiffraff]

6. K & R

What a wonderful story! Good on you, Anna Urban!

[qnr]

7. K&R - what a wonderful story n/t

[crispini]

8. K&R

[dubykc]

9. Great story!

[Ellen Rose]

10. Good Citizenship

"You need to vote to be a good citizen." Kudos to Anna, she has the correct idea about voting. She didn't have to be begged, badgered, or pleaded with to vote. I imagine it took the 95 year old woman a lot of courage to call 911 and ask for help--she did. I wish everyone in this country took their responsibility to vote as seriously as she.
:yourock: :yourock:

[catabryna]

12. What a great feel good story! K&R

With all the great news, this is just frosting on the cake! :party:

[Dogmudgeon]

14. We ought to establish a "voters' 911" number

We can name it after Anna Urban.

--p!

[iamjoy]

16. In My Community, We Have 311

This is a heartwarming story, but really 911 is for emergencies only. Emergencies as in - health or life endangering. In many areas, 911 operators are overwhelmed as it is, I'd hate to think of a real problem getting ignored while they were trying to help a dedicated voter get to the polls.

In my community, we have 311, which can be used for general information and non-emergency nuisances. Loose but non threatening dogs, streetlights out, etc. and the operators will get you to the proper agency.

Seems much more logical.

[tavalon]

31. Yeah, but it's clear she didn't know better

911 was established long after she became older, even elderly. She clearly didn't understand and that's why no one is dissing her for it. It wasn't frivolous use because she didn't intend it frivolously.

[iamjoy]

37. It Points To A Need

Of course she didn't know better. And while voting isn't frivolous, it isn't something specially trained emergency operators need to handle.

But this could be used as an example of why 311 is needed or an opportunity to educate people.

If you have a life threatening emergency, dial 9-1-1. If you need assistance from the government and don't know who to call, dial 3-1-1.

[JTFrog]

70. I'm sure

there are several soldiers and their families that would have argued that getting out to vote was literally a life or death situation for our country yesterday.

So kuddo's to her!

[BlueInPhilly]

18. Count me in on the flowers!

I'd gladly contribute to send this wonderful woman some flowers!!! :loveya:

[Luna_Chick]

15. K&R

And I'm almost certain that, after I send this thread to my mother, she will be reminded of her grandmother who literally died with her boots on while casting her own vote. Wonderful story, thanks for posting!

[fob]

17. I didn't even make it through the snippet provided without tearing up.

If Anna Urban, Deborah M. Olivieri and Judith L. Schwank are not Time Magazine's Person's of the Year, then Time Inc is more worthless than I thought.

Somebody needs a pic of Ms. Urban with her quote on some t-shirts.

fob, A-fuckin'-pproves of this message!

[kestrel91316]

19. I suspect in LA they would prosecute her for abusing the 911

system. They are really into law and order here (about CERTAIN things - and this is one of them).

[Bushh8er]

20. This is my county!!!

I live in a suburb of Reading and am damn proud this women is a part of my community :grouphug:

[ArbustoBuster]

24. Welcome to DU, Bushh8er!

I live just down the Turnpike in Montgomery County. :)

[Bushh8er]

27. thank you neighbor

I am soooo happy to be here. My husband is a tie hard repug. Talking politics with him is like beating my head against the wall. He still believes we have honest journalism. If it isn't reported in the MSM, it can't be true. Its nice to have a place to go where other people think and feel the same way I do.

[azmouse]

28. I'm from the Reading area originally.

:hi:
What a great story! The people of Berks Co are the best!

[Bushh8er]

29. Right back atcha

:hi:

[tabasco]

21. God bless her I wish I had the honor to give her a ride.

I wish my own Mother was here to see this day. :patriot:

[we can do it]

52. Me Too - On Both Accounts

Here's to great democratic women, today and yesterday!

:patriot:

[lumpy]

22. Goes to show that Dems have learned to be

resourceful. Where there's a will there is a way.

[Tight_rope]

23. Now she is was you call a true patriot!...God Bless her long life.

[williesgirl]

26. God bless her - what a WOMAN!

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

30. If she were a Republican,

we'd all be criticizing her for wasting emergency workers' valuable time.

That said, good for her. ;)

[spooky3]

32. maybe, if she were 35 and capable of driving

People who achieve the age of 95 ought to be respected and helped when needed. How many instances like this are there, and how much time did it really take?

[nam78_two]

34. I wouldn't have

I have certain base amount of respect for anyone who cares enough about the democratic process to get involved...
I might have despised her reasons for going to the polls if she had been Repug, but I would still have respected the drive to participate in the political process...

Sometimes its the apolitical people who tick me off the most..

[txindy]

62. An elderly woman like that? Not a chance.

No criticism from me no matter what her party affiliation. Not a chance. And if the police considered it a nuisance, they certainly wouldn't have bothered to hook her up with the right people to help her.

[nam78_two]

33. I LOVE people like this

Thats a true patriot :patriot:

Not like the lazy lameasses who say crap like "no point in voting...my vote won't count blah blah blah"....

[BadGimp]

35. What a great #*(@!* story!

[Chorophyll]

36. I was just talking to my mom...

...and we were agreeing that this election has brought back our faith in this country, and that our Founding People really knew what they were doing when they came up with the blueprint for our government. But people like Anna Urban (and everyone at DU) are what keeps it working. What a great story!
:patriot:

[Pastiche423]

38. Determined woman!

Kudos to Anna Urban!

Recommendation #87

[Emillereid]

39. Reminds me of a 74 year old African-American woman I called yesterday --

She was presented with several obstacles to voting -- but she proudly said that the only way THEY could stop her from voting was to kill her!!

[Vidar]

40. Bless her.

[Glenda]

41. that's so cool!

:yourock:

[mcscajun]

42. This story ought to be printed and handed to every fool,

yes, I mean FOOL, who can't be bothered to vote.

Anna Urban -- American Patriot (and feisty old broad) :)

[LosinIt]

43. Should we start a flower fund?

I don't know how these things work, but wouldn't she be a worthy recipient? We love you, Anna!

[Kire]

46. Edit: I was going to say...

...it depends on how she voted, but I see she's a Democrat. So, a flower fund is a nice idea.

[Darth_Kitten]

44. Well, I wouldn't call 9/11......that's for emergencies....

seriously, it's great that she wanted to do her duty, but 9/11 is for life and death. :(

[pnwmom]

48. At 95, I think she was entitled to call it

an emergency.

[lumpy]

54. It was an emergency in her eyes, This country is in

an emergency situation and she was doing her part to remedy it.

[BlueInPhilly]

73. At 95, she can do whatever the heck she wants!

She's most definitely earned it! Even if she voted Republican, I would still sing her praises.

Anna Urban, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :loveya:

[Nosimplehiway]

61. Reading is my hometown...

... and I am so, so, so proud of this lady.

That said, I can remember a time, back when I was on the Berks County Democratic Committee, when it was SOP for local parties and campaigns to drive older, disabled and car-less voters to the polls. This, of course, was years and years ago (1992ish?), when the Democratic Party had active standing committees and more local machinery. Reading still has a bunch of "Democratic Clubs" where one can get a quick beer after work, a fun candidate's night and a cheap place to rent a party room. In this cyber age where everything is blogs and media consultants, why do I feel like a relic at age 36 for wondering why she was not offered a ride by a personal friend (or party apparatchik) from the Democratic Party?

Not only is all politics local, all politics is personal.

[Joanne98]

45. We had a 71 year lod woman who never voted in her life

helping us on the phone bsnk. GO FIGURE!

[pnwmom]

49. Wow! n/t

[sarcasmo]

47. Did anyone forward this story to K.O. ?

[rocktivity]

55. Yes, KO mentioned it

Props, Anna! And I don't give a rat's rear end what your party is or who you voted for!

:patriot:
rocknation

[madmax]

50. Anna Urban - honey you rock! n/t

[demdiva]

51. I second that

[BeHereNow]

53. This REQUIRES a DU activist action! FLOWERS for ANNA URBAN!!!

WE HAVE to DU this woman!
How do we find her?
Maybe the person who picked her up and took her
to the polls would be willing to facilitate a DU flower delivery?
BHN

[rocktivity]

56. Well, we do have some clues

the Berks County Election Services office

Deborah M. Olivieri, election services director

County Commissioner Judith L. Schwank

And we have a DU-er who lives in the area! Bushh8er, can you get us some addresses and phone numbers?

:headbang:
rocknation

[gauguin57]

58. Some woman called me to tell me my GOTV calls kept her from going to vote.

When I got home late last night, after a 16-hour day of pollwatching, greeting, handing out campaign lit (AND explaining who and what was on the damned ballot to literally hundreds of pinheads), some bee-yatch had left a message on my answering machine, screaming at me and telling me that all the "Democratic propaganda calls" (I made one, maybe two calls to her (of course, she didn't leave her name, so I couldn't check) had caused her and her husband to stay home from voting.

And I only called Democrats for GOTV.

If this bitch called me again, I'd tell her about this great 95-year-old lady, who let NOTHING stand in her way of voting. And then I'd tell her I make no apologies for trying to get out the Democratic vote. Turnout was key in TURNING THIS COUNTRY AROUND and preventing Our Dear Leader from tearing up the U.S. Constitution.

And THEN I'd tell her she's a rotten citizen -- no one should use a few phone calls as an excuse not to do their civic duty!

[pnwmom]

60. I bet she wasn't really a Democrat. Don't worry about it.

We won!

[GetTheRightVote]

59. This tells us all how seriously we must take voting and encourage others to vote

as well.

:kick:

[Eurobabe]

63. She was right to do so, this was a 911!!!

Go Anna - you are a true patriot!

[goodboy]

64. K&R This woman is a great American! (nt)

[Rainscents]

65. I love stories like this!

:patriot:

[FernBell]

66. k&r

[toopers]

67. Why didn't she call a cab?

EOM

[Chovexani]

76. She's 95

Why don't you get a clue?

[Nosimplehiway]

77. Cabs aren't everywhere.

Depending on where she lives in Reading/Berks County, there may not be cab service, or if there is, it may be prohibitvely expensive.

[freefall]

68. This story made NPR news this morning!

It may be a little early in the day but here's a

:toast:

to all who voted, worked at the polls, made phone calls, contributed and helped the election effort in every way.

Peace,

freefall

[blue neen]

69. What an inspirational story!

This brought tears to my eyes.

[MsMagnificent]

72. Has her priorities straight

Good for her!!! :applause:

[spuddonna]

74. Yay, Anna! K&R!! n/t