Today is Independence Day, when we mark the decision of the Founding Fathers to break away from a tyrannical monarchy and establish our representative democracy. The hallmark of our form of government is that it is of, for and by the people. We, the people, decide who will lead us in government, including who will serve us as president — unless you are a U.S. citizen who’s a resident of Guam or one of the other territories. Then you have no vote, and thus no voice, in who will lead the country. A new federal lawsuit being developed by the We the People Project, a nonprofit that fights for the day residents of Guam and other U.S. territories, aims to change that.
“It’s simple — the right to vote for president should not depend on where you live. That’s not how democracy is supposed to work,” said Neil Weare, an attorney and president and founder of We the People Project. “Guam’s sons and daughters proudly serve in uniform to defend democracy overseas; they should have the right to fully participate in democracy at home.”
The lawsuit argues that all U.S. citizens should have the right to vote for president, no matter where they live.
“So long as Guam is part of the United States and residents of Guam are U.S. citizens, we should enjoy equal rights, including the right to vote for president,” said Leevin Camacho, one of the attorneys working to develop the case.
Full Article: Equality: No matter where they live, all citizens should have vote for president | Pacific Daily News | guampdn.com.