On the recordJune 27, 2013
Our amazing, time-traveling Supreme Court has truly surprised me this week. It was able to take us back to the 1960s on Tuesday and to step into the 21st century the next day by striking down DOMA. Yesterday's ruling was a long-overdue affirmation that married same- sex couples deserve the same Federal benefits as everyone else. It's a major step towards marriage equality. But this victory comes on the heels of a dangerous blow to voting rights. On Tuesday, the Court struck down a provision that has been vital to guaranteeing the right to vote for all Americans. The Voting Rights Act is a crucial guard against States backsliding on the progress of the civil rights movement, and we must now work to restore its protections. The struggle for voting rights and marriage equality are not so different. Both have been long fights with victories hard won. And in each we have seen freedoms and progress once thought impossible become inevitable. Yet even as we celebrate a victory for marriage equality, the Voting Rights Act ruling shows us that we cannot take these gains for granted, that maintaining these liberties requires constant vigilance and continued advocacy. These fights are far from over; but in time, I know we will succeed. In the words of Dr. King: The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. ____________________
