United States: Joe Biden's vibrant plea in favor of the right to vote
Joe Biden in Philadelphia, July 13, 2021. REUTERS - LEAH MILLIS
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In a speech in Philadelphia, the US president denounced the Republican camp's assaults on the right to vote.
Seventeen states changed their election laws this year and restricted access to the ballot box.
According to the president, it is the foundation of democracy that is targeted.
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It was in Philadelphia, the city where the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution were born, that the Democratic President delivered a particularly energetic speech, failing today to be able to counter initiatives aimed at establishing electoral legislation. restrictive, as in Texas,
Georgia
and elsewhere. "
America is living today
(...)
an attempt to undermine and suppress the right to vote
", he said, denouncing an "
attack on democracy, an attack on freedom
".
The laws or bills targeted by Joe Biden, under the pretext of fighting fraud, have the effect of complicating access to the ballot boxes for minorities, and in particular African-Americans, who historically vote more Democrats.
“
The right to vote is a pillar of American democracy
,” insists the president, “
and it is under attack
”.
And to counter Donald Trump, who continues to denounce massive fraud during the election he lost, Joe Biden launches: “
The big lie is just that: a big lie.
In America, if you lose you accept the result, you follow the Constitution, you try again, you don't call the facts a lie and then try to destroy the American experience just because you are unhappy.
"
The president compares these laws to segregationist laws.
He implores the elected representatives of Congress to pass the law guaranteeing the right to vote.
But without the support of the Republicans, it will be impossible.
The president has only one option: to galvanize his troops and call them to constant vigilance to defend access to the ballot box.
► Read also:
United States: elected Democrats leave Texas to block the vote on the electoral law
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United States
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