DEMOCRACY IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE

DEMOCRACY IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE 
Webster’s definition of democracy:  
a: government by the people 
especially: rule of the majority 
b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.  
Our mission to ‘empower voters and defend democracy’ has not changed in our 100 years. What has changed is the need to defend democracy, especially in of the face of voter suppression. There is a wealth of misinformation out there that is aimed to divide us as a nation and undermine our democracy. We have to stand up to this attack on our democratic ideals, regardless of what some may say. 
While it may be a challenge, especially at the state and local level, to avoid the appearance of partisanship when publicly addressing racial injustice in this heightened climate, we must. We may be accused of being partisan in those moments, but we must stand on the side of justice. It is our moral obligation to demand a more just and equitable world for people of color in our communities.  
We will continue to uphold our nonpartisan values for fairness, justice, and equity because they form the foundation of a representative democracy. If we don’t strive to dismantle and improve the systems and structures that exclude individuals from their democratic rights to vote and participate, we will never be able to achieve a “democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate.” 
Whether you identify politically as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, conservative, liberal, moderate, progressive or another political perspective, you have a place in this democracy and a place within the League, as long as you are committed to our belief in an inclusive democracy. While we may disagree on how we accomplish it, if you value democracy, then you must also value human rights, social justice, and equity.  
Virginia Kase, CEO
LWVUS
February 10, 2021
To read the full article, go to https://www.lwv.org/blog/remaining-nonpartisan-hyper-partisan-times?utm_source=PressRelease&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=02142021