Person 5

Erica made a good point by stating that all President Johnson was really trying to say was that everyone, including Negroes, deserved equality. She always stated that Johnson knew that the problem wouldn't be fixed overnight. It would take long hours in the office, but he was willing to work that hard just to have the bill passed. What happened in Selma, is under no circumstances acceptable. No American should be proud of what happened, and every single one of us should feel ashamed. Because according to the constitution, every American is equal and every American deserves the same rights. President Johnson said that the issue wasn't just a Negro problem, Southern problem, or Northern problem, and that there is only an American problem. We are together and one nation. This was said perfectly because it wasn't just one set group of people's problems, it was every single American's problem. We, as Americans, were not living up to the Constitution that was created for ourselves. America was the first nation to be created with a purpose. Every citizen deserved the right to vote. That's how the Constitution was created and that's how it should remain. President Johnson also made it a point to state in his speech that over a century ago African Americans were freed. Equality was promised to them, yet, still 100 years later, they still were not equal. The promise still remained unkept. It is crazy to think that 100 years after they were freed, Negroes still continued to be treated unequally. How over those 100 years did nothing really change? It's mind boggling. It was time for a change in the American society.