The day I arrived in
the United States for the first time, I was a 16-year old Filipino boy
fulfilling a dream come true. It was the same day when Rev. Martin Luther King,
Jr. delivered his now immortal “I Have a Dream” Speech.
Amongst the company of teenage-dreamers from all over the
world, we gathered at the beautiful campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto,
California. We were brought here to
experience living in the largest and freest democracy in the world.
Men of vision, dreams and idealism led America. Young, smart, and charismatic, President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy were displaying a rare kind of leadership that touched the hearts and minds of both the old and new generation not only in America but also the free world.
Men of vision, dreams and idealism led America. Young, smart, and charismatic, President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy were displaying a rare kind of leadership that touched the hearts and minds of both the old and new generation not only in America but also the free world.
Confident and proud of the democratic values that America
represented, young scholars and leaders worldwide like us were invited to
learn, live, and love these values so that they be shared and embraced in our
respective homelands.
After a tumultuous
historical year, I left America full of unforgettable memories, convinced more
than ever that it was a model for democracy.
In 1870, the 15th Amendment was law. It said,
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not
be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race,
color, or previous condition of servitude.”
Indeed, the right to vote is a cornerstone of democratic
governance and a fundamental element of citizenship. This link between democracy and the electoral
process is in fact captured in Article 21(3) of the UN Universal Declaration of
Human Rights which states:
“The will of the people shall be the
basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic
and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall
be held by secret vote or equivalent free voting procedures.”
To show that the United Nations is really committed to this
principle, it was reported, “Over the last 20 years, the United Nations has
provided electoral assistance to more than 110 Member States and/or territories
that have requested support.”
As democracy spreads,
so has the role of elections as the means to establish legitimate government.
Putting its money where its mouth is, the UN allocated US$1.2 billion for this
electoral assistance project.
The United States of America continues to take the lead in
the fight for the democratization of countries in governing legitimately and
effectively. I saw this as an exchange student during the tenure of John F.
Kennedy. Thousands of Americans had in
fact sacrificed their lives in so many wars for this cause. This seems to
continue even to this day.
In 1870, the right to vote was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. On July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. Yet, despite these guarantees, many African Americans were still prevented from voting.
In 1870, the right to vote was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. On July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. Yet, despite these guarantees, many African Americans were still prevented from voting.
Local organizations in Selma, Alabama joined forces with the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced “Snick”) to
challenge these restrictions and get Alabamans to register to vote. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern
Christian Leadership lent their full support.
It culminated with a march from Selma to the state capital in Montgomery, the “Bloody Sunday”, and ultimately to the passage of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965. That was about 100 years after the 15th Amendment guaranteed the right. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The Civil Rights Act of 1964” gave Negroes some part of their rightful dignity, but without the vote it was dignity without strength.”
It culminated with a march from Selma to the state capital in Montgomery, the “Bloody Sunday”, and ultimately to the passage of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965. That was about 100 years after the 15th Amendment guaranteed the right. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The Civil Rights Act of 1964” gave Negroes some part of their rightful dignity, but without the vote it was dignity without strength.”
The day the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the
Voting Rights Act in a 5-4 ruling in 2012 was a sad day for the advocates of
the right of suffrage.
“The
Supreme Court has effectively gutted one of the nation's most important and
effective civil rights laws,” Jon Greenbaum, chief counsel for the Lawyers'
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement. “Minority voters in
places with a record of discrimination are now at greater risk of being
disenfranchised than they have been in decades. Today's decision is a blow to
democracy. Jurisdictions will be able to enact policies which prevent
minorities from voting, and the only recourse these citizens will have will be
expensive and time-consuming litigation.”
Is America still a model for democracy
guaranteeing its citizens the right to choose those who would govern? President
Obama himself in his speech in Selma last Sunday reveals the stunning reality:
“Right now, in 2015, fifty years after Selma, there are laws across the country
designed to make it harder for people to vote. As we speak, more of such laws
are being proposed. Meanwhile, the Voting Rights Act, the culmination of so
much blood and sweat and tears, the product of so much sacrifice in the face of
wanton violence, stands weakened, its future subject to partisan rancor.”
Lent is currently celebrated and observed in Christian
churches. Part of the ritual is “fasting” as people pursue paths of life that
they value. As one Nobel Economist pointed out, the difference between starving
and fasting is the existence of “freedom to choose.”
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