Don’t Let Filibuster Derail Voting Rights

Target: Kyrsten Sinema, U.S. Senator

Goal: Eliminate filibuster that is enabling unchecked voter suppression and disenfranchisement.

Since the last time the nation celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., over 440 legislative efforts have taken place to restrict voters’ access. The stand against voter suppression was one of the civil rights leader’s most enduring legacies, and now this legacy stands in greater peril than ever. Efforts to preserve the rights of voters have been stalled and strangled by politicians who should know better and who should care more about what’s at stake for the country as a whole than their own selfish, power-grabbing purposes.

A vocal minority has been successful in their obstructive efforts because of the relic known as the filibuster. With this archaic Senate process, a few senators can successfully block any legislation they wish, even in the face of majority Congressional support and broad public support. During the Civil Rights Era, the filibuster was used often as a weapon to deprive minorities of basic, fundamental rights. Now, in this era of hyper-partisanship, it is yielding an equally destructive influence.

Dr. King’s family—along with tens of millions of Americans—have called on the Senate to eliminate this damaging obstacle at the very least in the case of voting rights. Senators who are supposed to be working for the will of the majority, however, have currently joined with that vocal minority in preserving the filibuster in all its damaging glory.

Sign the petition below to urge one of these prominent Senators to rethink her position and reexamine her oath of duty.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Senator Sinema,

“We’re working to restore the very voting rights’ protections my father and countless other civil rights leaders bled to secure. We will not accept empty promises in pursuit of my father’s dream for a more equal and just America.” Since you have apparently been busy on your phone when similar appeals were made right in front of you, Senator, this is a message from the family of one of America’s most iconic civil rights leaders on the day we celebrate and honor his legacy.

Martin Luther King III and other advocates are correct. Voting rights are in a class of their own. They underpin everything else for which you fight, and when they collapse, democracy itself will crumble. You have willingly made concessions on the filibuster for other consequential matters, like the debt ceiling. Please do not slam the door on reaching a similar compromise for one of the most important fights of modern times.

Stop letting the tyranny of the minority rule the will of the majority. Stop stalling progress or meaningful action on any front. If for nothing else, eliminate the destructive weapon of the filibuster on voting rights.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Sora Shimazak