Biden Threw Down the Gauntlet in the Battle Over Voting Rights

John Micek on Jul 14, 2021

And that is precisely what is unfolding, in real time.

And the challenge that Biden issued, not only to policymakers and activists, but to all Americans is a real one, and the test of our times: To stand against attacks on voting rights and to work together to rebut the culture of untruths that have sprung up around our what’s been billed as the most secure election in history.

Biden called for the passage of two sweeping pieces of voting rights legislation that have hit a brick wall in the narrowly divided U.S. Senate. The consequences of failing to do so are high, he warned, adding that the world was watching.

“Time and again, we’ve weathered threats to the right to vote, and each time, we’ve overcome. That’s what we must do today,” Biden said.

“We have to ask, are you on the side of truth or lies, fact or fiction, just a true injustice, democracy or autocracy?” he asked. “That’s what it’s coming down to.”

This is the challenge of our times. And we cannot fail to meet it.

An award-winning political journalist, John L. Micek is Editor-in-Chief of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg, Pa. Email him at jmicek@penncapital-star.com and follow him on Twitter @ByJohnLMicek.