Source: JIM WATSON / Getty
Beloved musical icon Stevie Wonder had some choice words for those in the Senate who are still unmoved about securing voting rights for all on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and shared them in a striking video message.
As many – including lawmakers- took to social media to share their thoughts of inspiration and hope on the holiday celebrating the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday (January 17th), others including the King family were out protesting and calling on some of those same lawmakers in the federal government to secure voting rights on a national level. Stevie Wonder added his highly significant voice to theirs with a special message that was delivered via YouTube in the later hours of the day. Seated at his piano with his ever-present shades, Wonder began the brief clip forcefully: “Any senator who cannot support the protection of voting rights in the United States of America cannot say that they support the Constitution,” he said. “Stop the hypocrisy.”
He then brought himself close to cursing those lawmakers out but cleaned it up in his own way so the meaning wasn’t lost: “Cut the bull-tish,” he said.
Wonder closed out the clip with these words: “If you care and support our rights, do the hard work. You can’t please everybody, but you can protect all of us. And to keep it all the way real: The filibuster is not working for democracy. Why won’t you?” Standing up for what’s right is nothing new to the legendary musician. He famously lent his efforts, which included recording the timeless song “Happy Birthday” in the early 1980s towards the push for a national day to honor the Civil Rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. The current fight to get the John Lewis Voting Rights Act has hit a major roadblock in the Senate, with calls to break the filibuster rule in order to get it passed. But there appears to be no support from Senate Republicans to do so, with Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona publicly stating their opposition to ending the filibuster for voting rights.
Check out the entire video clip below:
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