Home | Menu | Sign Up | Donate

Bending the moral arc of the universe

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and there's no better way to honor Dr. King's legacy than by fighting harder than ever for our democracy.

One of my favorite quotes is Dr. King's proclamation that "the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice."

But I've always believed that it doesn't bend toward justice on its own – we have to do the hard work, every single day, to bend the moral arc of the universe.

And of course, there are extremist politicians trying to bend the universe in the other direction.

They know they'll lose every election if every eligible voter was allowed to vote. So they shrink the pool of eligible voters with dehumanizing policies and anti-democratic tactics.

In the Jim Crow era, it was poll taxes and literacy tests. Today, it's closing polling stations, voter registration purges, and making it harder to vote by mail.

Right-wing politicians across the country are again employing these same obstacles to prevent certain people — especially communities of color — from voting.

I'm fighting back, and I know you are too.

I'm fighting to reform the Senate's filibuster rules, so we can actually hold up-or-down votes to pass bills that heal our democracy. I'm fighting for nationwide mail-in voting. And I'm fighting to get big money out of our elections and end partisan gerrymandering.

The fight for democracy itself is where Martin Luther King's dream will live or die. That's why I won't stop dreaming, and I won't stop fighting to bend the moral arc of the universe towards justice. And I know you won't either.

Onward!

Jeff

Posted on January 16, 2023.

Born in the small town of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, Jeff Merkley has never lost touch with his working class roots.

As a U.S. Senator, he works every day to create opportunity for working families, stop the corruption of our democracy, and tackle the climate crisis.

A workhorse and a progressive champion, Jeff Merkley is leading a movement to get our country back on track.

Meet Jeff

Take Action