40th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
In America, we believe in the freedom of every individual. This
freedom includes the ability to participate in one of the most cherished
rights and fundamental responsibilities of citizenship: the right to
vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped ensure that all citizens
would have the opportunity to vote, regardless of race. As President
Lyndon Johnson said when he signed the Act, "Millions of Americans are
denied the right to vote because of their color. This law will ensure
them the right to vote. The wrong is one which no American, in his
heart, can justify. The right is one which no American, true to our
principles, can deny." As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of this
historic act, we reaffirm this bedrock commitment to equality and
justice for all.
America's history is a story of people working for freedom, justice,
and equality. We have made great progress toward achieving these ideals.
In the middle of the 20th century, the conscience of America was
awakened by the struggles and the courage of those who overcame racial
slurs, fire hoses, and burning crosses. Brave men and women held sit-ins
at lunch counters, rode buses on Freedom Rides, and marched in our
Nation's Capital and throughout our country to demand the full promise
of the Declaration of Independence. The work of these courageous
Americans led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and we remember their
heroism on this anniversary.
America is a stronger and better Nation because of the Voting Rights
Act of 1965. As President Johnson said upon signing the Act, it is "a
triumph for freedom as huge as any victory that has ever been won on any
battlefield." The Act was a great step forward in the history of our
Nation, and it remains essential as we continue our progress toward a
society in which every person of every background can realize the
American Dream.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
Laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 6, 2005, as a day
of celebration in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate
programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of
August, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirtieth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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