The somber occasion of the 11th anniversary of September 11, 2001 is a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy in this great country can never be taken for granted. In the wake of Cold War, we learned that tragic day that even with the Soviet Union gone there were still those who resented our democracy and our basic rights to free speech and to vote in free, democratic elections.
In the Amendments to our Constitution, no right has been more frequently expanded and safeguarded than the right to vote. It is a right that is at the core of our democracy and our freedom. It is not a right we should ever take for granted. It is a right we must always defend whenever there are efforts to deny or abridge it.
Recently, Congressman and American hero John Lewis urged us to fight to protect the right to vote as the “most powerful, nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.” On September 11, a day that will always be marked for its senseless violence, it is important to take stock of this and other freedoms, to appreciate them, and to remember that there will be times when they must be protected from those who would do them harm.