VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION...
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL, FIRST AND LAST NAME AND ZIP CODE SO THAT I CAN SIGN YOU ON THE PETITION TO CHANGE THIS "ACT" INTO A BILL...OR GO TO
WWW.RAINBOWPUSH.ORG
AND GO TO THE SECTION THAT SAYS READ AND VIEW THE PETITION...ONCE YOU READ IT THEN IT GIVES YOU THE SIGNING OPTION...PLEASE PARTICIPATE....THIS IS IMPORTANT! ARTICLE FROM WWW.RAINBOWPUSH.ORGNATIONAL LEADERS UNITE WITH RAINBOW/PUSH TO SUPPORT EXTENSION OF HISTORIC 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT
‘Voting is the most fundamental right’
CHICAGO – (March 16, 2005) – National leaders in civil rights, human rights, women’s rights and workers’ rights will join forces with Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and the RainbowPUSH Coalition to secure 1 million signatures for the reauthorization of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 before its scheduled expiration in 2007.
“The right to vote precedes, preserves and protects all other rights,” Rev. Jackson explains, “and therefore it is of utmost importance that we preserve, protect and if necessary expand the provisions of the Voting Rights Act.”
Rev. Jackson will provide details on the new alliance, which will to be announced formally next week, during a news conference at 10 A.M. (EST) on Monday, March 21, 2005, at the Press Club, 529 14th St. N.W., in Washington, D.C. The path-breaking alliance will unite groups from across the activist spectrum, representing organizations as diverse as the AFL-CIO, Congressional Black Caucus, the National Urban League, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Organization for Women, the National Progressive Baptist Convention, the Coalition of Black Trade Unions, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the African Episcopal Church, and the Black Leadership Forum.
Because the Supreme Court’s decision to award the 2000 Presidential election to George W. Bush rested on regarding the vote as a state right – not a federally protected right – the danger of rolling back voting rights for minorities is greater than at any time since the Voting Rights Act took effect, Rev. Jackson says.
“It is clearly unworkable to rely on the states to provide the help needed for Americans to effectively exercise their right to vote,” Rev. Jackson says. “The cash-strapped, resource-poor states are desperately trying to make up for federal budget cuts everywhere from 'No Child Left Behind' to healthcare to homeland security. They just don’t have the resources, and they shouldn’t have the responsibility.”
Participating groups will detail their plans for helping Rev. Jackson to collect one million signatures by August 6, 2005 - the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
On that date, members of the organizations will join other activists as they convene in Atlanta, Georgia, for a major demonstration focusing on the franchise as a fundamental right in a democratic nation.
“As we press toward extension of the Voting Rights Act, we are pulling together our allies so we are not in this fight alone,” Rev, Jackson said of the need to support extension of the Voting Rights Act. “We will be taking the fight back to the South, and we will deliver the signatures of a million concerned Americans to the White House by utilizing our relationships with all the entities that understand the importance of the vote. This is a major, unified stand – a coalition of conscience.”
Rev. Jackson said the extension of the Voting Rights Act, with appropriate provisions for enforcement, is essential to maintaining democracy in the United States. “Any liberty-loving American can support the idea of spreading freedom – but as we know, freedom begins at home,” Rev. Jackson said. “As we attempt to deal with an administration that says one thing and does another – that praises Dr. King while filing court briefs against affirmative action – we who believe in a better America must collaborate in order to maximize our effectiveness.”
The RainbowPUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information about the RainbowPUSH Coalition, please visit the organization’s website, www.rainbowpush.org, or telephone (773) 373-3366. To confirm your attendance in this press conference, please call the numbers listed above.
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I went to the website and signed the petition. This is a VERY serious matter. 
I will be signing the petition after my workout. Thanks for the info ma! 
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