SELMA, Alabama—Standing at the base of the Edmund Pettus Bridge here on Saturday, President Barack Obama pushed Americans to continue to fight for racial equality and challenged Congress to strengthen the Voting Rights Act.
Obama urged Americans to channel the “fierce urgency of now” felt by those who marched on the infamous bridge 50 years ago in the brutal fight for voting rights. He challenged the notion that America is a still country deeply divided on race, as seen in the wake of shocking police shootings of unarmed black men, which triggered waves of protests throughout the nation over the past year.
“I rejected the notion that nothing’s changed,” Obama said. “What happened in Ferguson may not be unique, but it’s no longer endemic, or sanctioned by law and custom; and before the civil rights movement, it most surely was.”
The president spoke on the 50th anniversary of the violent confrontation that became known as “Bloody Sunday.”
Obama also referred to the Justice Department’s recent report showing that police in Ferguson routinely expressed racial hostility and used excessive force.
“With such effort, we can make sure our criminal justice system serves all and not just some,” Obama said. “Together, we can raise the level of mutual trust that policing is built on — the idea that police officers are members of the communities they risk their lives to protect, and citizens in Ferguson and New York and Cleveland just want the same thing young people here marched for — the protection of the law.”
Obama also noted that, despite five decades’ worth of change, voting rights are once again in peril. “Right now, in 2015, 50 years after Selma, there are laws across this country designed to make it harder for people to vote,” he said, adding, “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.”
i am sooooo proud of Pres., i know there will be those on both sides with their own negative views but i choose to point out to you my friends he came into the highest office in the land twice amid the prejudice and vitriol to the max by those on the right i think it really got going when the deadbeat dad Joe Wilson at the sotu speech shouted "you lie" there was no kick back by Dems or the Pres. but mostly his admin they let it stand and than it really went White supremacist with their few token flies in the buttermilk and to this day are still doing it and Dems are still not holding them accountable. IMO they his admin have never had his back they abandoned him election time afraid they might lose voters in those states that gerrymandered or suppressed the vote and were more red than blue. if they were going to do that they might as well join the republicans warming a seat to vote for your opposition makes them not just DINO'S but dishonorable, disloyal, traitors to the party.
i would like to say that i believe him to be the greatest Pres. so far, despite the racist right wing opposition, despite the party turning their backs on him not advising him of the perils of naively thinking republicans cared and were remotely interested in doing the peoples work, then adding insult to injury all he's done for we the people we too, well many of us also turned a deaf ear and backs on him his "yes we can" was treated like "he wants us to do his job" no he wanted you to help him save your butts but i guess that was to much to ask.
finally i'd like to say inspite of all the negativity in his way he still made historic strides i'd like those who oppose and those who might as well have opposed to check the link below and look back before 2009 and remember what could it have been, be thankful for what you got not that it's taking too long that is more of an issue to take up with your republican congress. oh did i mention 295, 000 jobs in Feb. and 60 consecutive months of public sector job growth? Mr. Beohner where are the republican jobs numbers you promised back in 2010?
please read entire article between Pres. and John Lewis my eye was wet i will post video update soon as i can find one. God Bless the Pres. and the United States to be
