D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray Challenges Obama, Congress On City's Voting Rights

WASHINGTON -- District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray, in his welcoming remarks at Sunday's dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, called on President Obama and Congress to extend full and equal voting rights to residents of the nation's capital. While D.C. residents can vote for president, they do not have voting representation in Congress.

Excerpts of the mayor's address, according to remarks released by Gray's office:

"Today, we gloriously honor Dr. King’s legacy and his dream. Sadly, however, for the 601,000 residents of the District of Columbia, that dream remains unfulfilled," the mayor said, according to remarks released by his office. "As the residents of the District of Columbia know all too well –- but, sadly, most Americans do not –- if you live in Washington, D.C., you do not have a vote in Congress. We pay our nation's taxes, we fight our nation's wars, but we have no vote." ...

"In 1966, Dr. King marched in our streets calling for an end to this injustice. He decried the plight of our residents when he said Congress had been 'derelict in their duties and sacred responsibility to make justice and freedom a reality for all citizens in the District of Columbia,'" Mayor Gray said. "And yet all these years later, those who live in our city are still denied the basic rights of self-determination and representation afforded other Americans." ...

"As we celebrate this momentous dedication, I implore you, Mr. President and members of Congress: Stand with the people of the District of Columbia! Stand with the legacy of Dr. King! Remove the shackles of oppression so that, when Americans dutifully recite the Pledge of Allegiance, we truly mean 'liberty and justice for all.'"

On Saturday, Gray led a statehood rally in Freedom Plaza and marched to the new memorial honoring King.

Comments

[ShanaJuly]

04:49 AM on 10/17/2011

Another age old problem dumped on President Obama as if he doesn't have enough of the crapola left by the others...

[ColoLibertarian]

07:46 AM on 10/17/2011

What is on more task when he is incapable of handling ANY of it?

[LeeCalif]

10:38 PM on 10/16/2011

D.C. doesn't have control over it's school system either, I think.

Congress has the final say.

No representation and a dan gerous House controlling cirriculum.

[ColoLibertarian]

09:07 PM on 10/16/2011

Mr. Mayor,

If you want voting rights for Congress then move. Our forefathers intended for DC to not be a state and it is not.

Too bad if you disapprove of what they chose for our nation.

You can always move.

[Jacqui Shelton]

12:38 AM on 10/17/2011

Perhaps Mr. Mayor could move in order to get his voting rights. But try telling that to the families living under the poverty line in Southeast. Just move. You can always move. Move to get the same voting rights that the rest of the nation does.

Right.

[ColoLibertarian]

07:31 AM on 10/17/2011

They knew what the District's status was WHEN THEY MOVED THERE!

These folks remind me of the home owners that build next to the airport and then want to complain about the noise.

[yangcheng]

12:42 PM on 10/16/2011

[ SOS ] Complaint about Discrimination & Human Rights Violations by IBM China on Centennial

Please Google:

Tragedy of Labor Rights Repression in IBM China
or
How Much IBM Can Get Away with is the Responsibility of the Media
or
IBM detained mother of ex-employee on the day of centennial

[Mulebone]

12:00 PM on 10/16/2011

You go, Mr. Gray.

I just read an article about all the supposed corruption in your administration. When I first saw the headline I said, "Good, they caught another crooked politician."

Halfway through the article I said, "Are they kidding me? I've never seen such Mickey Mouse allegations in my life.

They were ridiculous, not one meeting the test of a misdemeanor let alone federal violations of anything. I won't even repeat them here because they were so bogus I don't remember any of them.

If you're doing something wrong I hope they catch you and throw the book at you, but if you're just playing hard politics, sock it to 'em!