John Kerry: 40 Years After Voting Rights Act, Let’s Keep the Vote Alive

[kerrygoddess]

Commentary: 40 Years After the Voting Rights Act, Let’s Keep the Vote Alive in America
Date: Thursday, August 04, 2005
By: Sen. John Kerry, Special to BlackAmericaWeb.com

Forty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in our nation’s history. This precious right was earned by brave American citizens who risked their lives to register voters, who marched, who stared down Bull Connor’s police dogs, who faced the billy clubs and tear gas and beatings and lynching, and some who even lost their lives fighting to open up the polls and make the right to vote real for every American.

Tomorrow, four decades later, America’s civil rights, religious and labor leaders, along with thousands of our fellow citizens will gather in Atlanta. They will march to Keep the Vote Alive in America – to celebrate what we have achieved, and highlight how far we still have to go.

I hope as we consider our next Supreme Court justice, we remember that the journey toward civil rights continues. We’re not doing nearly enough to make our election system the shining example it must be for the rest of the world, or the unwavering guardian of liberty it must be at home.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=164

[jillan]

1. There is going to be a huge march In Georgia on this

Pro-Democracy
March & Rally
August 6, 2005-Atlanta, Georgia


40th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
March for Voting Rights, Jobs, Justice, & Peace

On August 6 2005, the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition will hold a march and rally Atlanta, Georgia to commemorate the signing of the Act and to call attention to the threats facing minorities and the poor as key provisions of the Act come up for renewal in 2007. More...

http://www.keepthevotealive.org/

Leave it to Kerry to make sure everyone knows how important tomorrow is.
:toast:

[kerrygoddess]

4. That's his style...

He also helped raise money to get people there.
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=105

[Comandante_Subzero]

2. An End to the Rogue Corporate State

We voted - & got Nixon, Reagan, two Bushes, genocidal sanctions & ruthless wars.

Political "democracy" without economic democracy is a mockery. The ruling elites will always have their way in politics if they control the economy. It needs to be owned by working people. As it is they just want us to rubber-stamp corporate rule & die in their wars of empire. When will we ever learn?

I think we're smart enough to devise something new. We can't afford to waste our energies on a blasted & sterile political wasteland where greedy thugs battle each other for money & power.

[wli]

3. Keep the vote alive? Doesn't he mean "reinstate the vote?"

We've got Stalin-style 100% fraudulent farces instead of elections right now. The vote's already gone. We can't keep it alive. We have to resurrect it.