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Address: Reaffirming Our Commitment to Protecting the Right to Vote
The White House
August 8, 2015
Hi, everybody. The right to vote is one of the most
fundamental rights of any democracy. Yet,
for too long, too many of our fellow citizens were denied that right, simply
because of the color of their skin.
Fifty years ago this week,
President Lyndon Johnson signed a law to change that. The Voting
Rights Act broke down legal barriers that stood between millions of African
Americans and their constitutional right to cast ballot. It was, and still is, one of the greatest
victories in our country’s struggle for civil rights.
But it didn’t happen
overnight. Countless men and women
marched and organized, sat in and stood up, for our most basic rights. For this they were called agitators and
un-American, they were jailed and they were beaten. Some were even killed. But in the end, they reaffirmed the idea at
the very heart of America: that people who love this country can change it.
Our country is a better place
because of all those heroes did for us.
But as one of those heroes, Congressman John Lewis, reminded us in Selma
this past March, “There’s still work to be done.” Fifty years after the Voting Rights Act, there are still too many barriers to vote, and
too many people trying to erect new ones.
We’ve seen laws that roll back early voting, force people to jump
through hoops to cast a ballot, or lead to legitimate voters being improperly
purged from the rolls. Over the years,
we have seen provisions specifically designed to make it harder for some of our
fellow citizens to vote. In a democracy
like ours, with a history like ours, that’s a disgrace.
That’s why, as we celebrate the
50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act,
I’m calling on Congress to pass new legislation to make sure every American has
equal access to the polls. It’s why I
support the organizers getting folks registered in their communities. And it’s why, no matter what party you
support, my message to every American is simple: get out there and vote – not
just every four years, but every chance you get. Because your elected officials will only heed
your voice if you make your voice heard.
The promise that all of us are
created equal is written into our founding documents – but it’s up to us to
make that promise real. Together, let’s
do what Americans have always done: let’s keep marching forward, keep perfecting
our union, and keep building a better country for our kids.
Thanks, everybody, and have a
great weekend. |
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