Did You Vote Today?

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This just in: Violence UnSilenced has been nominated for the BlogLuxe 2009 Most Inspiring Blog Award, to be presented at BlogHer 2009.

Updates: First off, thanks to The Bumbles for finding out that the voting closes July 6th. Much appreciated! Second, several people have told me they've had trouble navigating the BlogLuxe voting page, and frankly it's not especially intuitive. So in the interest of making the process as non-stress-inducing as possible, I've compiled a detailed guide to navigating the page, complete with illustrations. Hopefully, this will make it easier for you to get to the right place and cast your vote. But if you're still having problems with it, just let me know and I'll address any questions you have the best I know how.

Personally, I can't think of a blog more deserving, or an award more fitting. Because it's impossible to read any of the stories shared on VU and not be inspired by them. And this is your chance to say so. This is your chance to give the contributors that have so courageously shared their most painful memories the validation they deserve, and to do it in a very public, very emphatic way. Because VU isn't about a blogger, or a couple of bloggers. Violence UnSilenced is about survivors, and their will to not only break free themselves, but to try to help others to break free from the prison of domestic violence as well.

The authors who contribute their stories to VU do it with only one possible "payoff" in mind. They do it because they know that someone out there is living the same story. Someone is suffering the same abuse and degradation and humiliation and shame they did. And if that someone knows that she or he is not "different", that someone else has come out the other side, it just might be the thing they need to finally summon the courage to get out of their situation before it's too late. That is first, last and always the mission of Violence UnSilenced.

Inspiration is what VU is all about, and as such I know of no more appropriate way to recognize it than with an award for Most Inspiring Blog. So get clicking my friends. Follow the link form the badge at the top of this post, then scroll down to the Most Inspiring Blog Category. Click the banner to open the list of nominees, then find Violence UnSilenced and hit that vote button. You'll be asked to provide a name and email address for auditing purposes, and you can vote once per email address per day.

As of this writing, I don't know when the voting closes, but it could continue through July 23rd, 2009 when the awards are presented at BlogHer 2009. But for as long as the voting is open I hope you'll support the writers at VU with your vote. (If you would like a reminder sent to you by email, send your name and email to me at: jbengel [at] brandenburg3 [dot] com with "Subscribe: BlogLuxe Voting Reminder List" in the subject and I'll add you to a mailing list to be distributed daily.)

Thank you all for your continued support of Violence UnSilenced and the writers that make it happen.

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