Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote A

Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote A

Started
January 12, 2022
Signatures: 12Next Goal: 25
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Why this petition matters

Started by Marie Brissette

Friends in Christ,

You may have heard about recent threats to the voting rights of some of our fellow citizens. According to The Brennan Center for Justice, “Between January 1 and December 7, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. More than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions.” These voting laws appear to deliberately target lower-income voters and will mute the voices of people of color. These states have turned the clock back 200 years and are actively trying to silence voices that are integral to our country and our democracy. 

As members of Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church, we are called to "act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God" Micah 6:8. How can we foster a world of justice when some voices in our community are not given the same opportunity to be heard in our election system?  Dr. King said, "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."

We cannot stand by while access to voting for any of us is diminished or threatened as is happening today. Please join us in signing the following petition and sending letters to our senators and representatives. They have expressed support for these issues but they need to know their constituents care about these issues NOW in order to act. 

It is time to act. Therefore, we wish to send the following message to Senator Cantwell, Senator Murray, and Congresswoman Jayapal.

Please add a comment and tell why you are signing!!

 

January 16, 2022

Dear Senator Cantwell, Senator Murray, and Congresswoman Jayapal: 

On this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, we send our appreciation for your support of federal legislation that protects the rights of all citizens to vote and that helps preserve our democracy. As members of Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Ballard, the value of voice and equity across race, ethnicity, and income is deeply important to us. We join with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s descendants, the National Urban League, and many other organizations to urge you to continue to do all you can to win the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. 

As you know so well, equality in voting wasn't truly established until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It took almost 200 years before the entire population of a country built on freedom truly had a way to exercise their freedoms and make their voices heard. 

However, according to The Brennan Center for Justice, “Between January 1 and December 7, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. More than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions.” These voting laws appear to deliberately target lower-income voters will mute the voices of people of color. These states have turned the clock back 200 years and are actively trying to silence voices that are integral to our country and our democracy. 

Dr. Martin Luther King bravely fought for freedom, inspired an entire nation, and gave what Lincoln called 'The Last Great Measure of Devotion'. Among the many triumphs in Dr. King's legacy, the greatest, perhaps, is the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  The recent state legislation restricting voting rights is a direct assault on this federal law, Dr. King's legacy and equality in our great nation.

In celebration of Dr. King and the American impulse toward freedom and democracy, please do everything you can to pass new federal legislation to protect the rights of all citizens to vote.  

Sincerely, 

Members of Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church

Seattle, Washington

 

 

 

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Signatures: 12Next Goal: 25
Support now
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