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| Source:Associated Press- African-Americans voting in the 1960s. Perhaps for the 1st time ever, since they were denied the right to vote because of their race previously. |
"Highlights of this day in history: The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan during World War II; LBJ signs the Voting Rights Act; Pope Paul VI dies; Scientist Alexander Fleming born; Funk singer Rick James dies."
From the Associated Press
I'll take a couple of the stories one at a time and go from there.
1065 Voting Rights Act:
The photo for this post is probably the most important, at least as it relates to the United States. Every American citizen whether they are native-born or immigrated to this country, has always had the right to vote, at least after their 18th birthday. And in African-Americans case, they've been in this country at least as long as the Europeans, simply because they were brought to America has slaves in the 16 and 17 hundreds.
It's not like African-Americans weren't allowed to vote in America pre-1965. It's that they were denied the right to vote by Southern Neo-Confederate government's in the South, primarily. The 1965 Voting Rights Act makes it illegal for any government in this country, to deny any Americans whose at least 18, the right to vote simply because of their race, ethnicity, or gender.
President Harry Truman dropping the bomb on Japan in 1945:
When you are at war with another country, which is what America was with Japan, after Japan attacked Hawaii in 1941, it literally becomes a you against them situation. Doesn't mean you take out innocent lives simply to do that or to win, but without the bomb, (not da bomb) that war perhaps goes on for another 2-3 years, costing America, as well as Japan, a lot more military personal, money, as well as innocent lives. Obviously a horrible call to have to make because of the damage that it did to Japan and the Japanese people. But it was the right call to make. It ended that war and Japan has been a thriving liberal democracy and developed country, almost every year since 1945.
