"Because of the prosperity we have worked hard to achieve, we in this day and in this decade have a chance greater than any generation before us - to fulfill at long last the abiding dream and the repeated pledge of liberty and justice for all." - Al Gore

Our nation must rededicate itself to lifting every child, leveling every barrier, and leaving no one behind. Al Gore is committed to creating a new prosperity that runs much deeper than our material possessions - and a new national ethic which emphasizes the way we treat one another, the way we respect one another, the way we cherish equality, seek freedom, and love truth. As President, Al Gore will work to outlaw racial profiling, mandate vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws, and oppose efforts to roll back affirmative action. Al Gore will fight for increased penalties for crimes motivated by race, gender, or sexual orientation, appoint U.S. Supreme Court justices committed to defending civil rights, and ensure that our federal government workforce is as diverse as the nation it represents.

ENFORCING THE NATION'S CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS

• Building on the increased civil rights enforcement under the Clinton-Gore Administration, Al Gore will fight to ensure that our civil rights laws are vigorously enforced to prevent discrimination before it occurs and punish those who do discriminate based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation or national origin - in employment, in housing, in health care, and in access for those with disabilities.

APPOINTING JUDGES AND SUPREME COURT JUSTICES WHO WILL DEFEND CIVIL RIGHTS

• The next President will likely appoint three justices to the Supreme Court, possibly more. That means that the way the court interprets our founding charter for the next 30 to 40 years will be determined by what happens in this November's elections. As President, Al Gore will appoint Justices with sound judgment, good temperament, and a deep understanding of the law. They will believe that the Constitution is a living document that should be interpreted to reflect our nation's growth and evolution since its signing. They will be strong defenders of civil and individual rights, and represent America's full diversity.

HATE CRIMES

• America cannot tolerate Hate Crimes. As President, Gore will continue to fight for Hate Crimes legislation that protects everyone in America, by urging Congress to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and expand the definition of hate crimes to include those of gender, sexual orientation and disability, and allow for the prosecution of these crimes under federal law.

RACIAL PROFILING

• The majority of our police are committed to protecting the American people and doing their job honorably and with respect for all our citizens. However, racial profiling remains a scar on the legitimacy of American law enforcement. Al Gore supports the President's order to the Department of Justice to begin collecting data on the race, age and gender of people stopped by federal, state and local law enforcement officials, and will go further. As President, Al Gore will introduce a bill outlawing racial profiling nationwide, and he will direct his Attorney General to redouble efforts to combat this injustice within existing civil rights laws.
• While Al Gore believes most police officers, serve with honor, we cannot tolerate even a few instances of abuse because enforcement depends on trust of the community. Al Gore will also increase scholarships and outreach to diversify the ranks of our criminal justice system, and will support professional development grants to train officers to prevent abuses - be they familiar incidents of harassment or grave tragedies such as the shooting of Amadou Diallo in New York City. Community leaders and law enforcement organizations alike recognize that effective policing requires community support and legitimacy. Neither can be achieved without fairness for all.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

• Al Gore supports the current Administration's position on affirmative action: "mend it, don't end it." As President, he will continue to defend programs, including those in education, contracting and employment, that work well for minorities and women. As Vice President, Al Gore has defended affirmative action, and denounced efforts-like California's Proposition 209-that attempted to wantonly eliminate affirmative action programs. Gore believes we should ensure that affirmative action programs are carefully targeted and fair and that they meet legal requirements, but we should not eliminate altogether programs that have worked.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

• Al Gore has made clear that it is time for all Americans to recognize that the issues that face gays and lesbians in this country are not narrow, special interests - they are a matter of basic human and civil rights.
• As President, Al Gore will use his office to help increase the country's understanding that dignity and basic rights for all Americans must include lesbians and gays. Gore supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to end discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation - following the example of the Federal government, which under the Clinton-Gore Administration has adopted a non-discrimination policy covering sexual orientation. Everyone deserves basic freedom from discrimination.

CREATING AND IMPROVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AMERICANS

• Closing the Opportunity Gap
• Quality Education for All: Al Gore believes that the most important thing we can do today to correct the legacy of discrimination of all types is to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed and make the most of their God-given potential. If elected President, he will fight to give every child a world-class education and make schools and communities safe for all our children.
• Making Work Pay: Al Gore will also work to ensure that those who work earn enough to care for their families. He will expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). He will fight for additional increases in the minimum wage. And he will renew and expand our investment for economic development in distressed urban and rural areas.
• Equal Pay for Women: Al Gore will work aggressively toward our goal of equal pay for equal work for women. He supports the Equal Rights Amendment, and as President, he will fight to strengthen equal pay rules and crack down on companies that practice wage discrimination. Al Gore wants to see the shards of the glass ceiling as the legacy of his administration.
• Closing the Digital Divide: America was the pioneer of universal education; now America must become the pioneer of universal computer literacy. Because civil rights ring hollow without economic opportunity, Gore believes we must recognize that in the Information Age, computer literacy is a fundamental civil right. As President, Gore will not be satisfied until every American has learned the ABC's of the Internet: Access, Basic skills, and high-quality Content. In his first term as President, Gore would insist that we finish connecting every classroom and library in America to the Internet.

DIVERSITY IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

• A Gore Administration will draw upon the best and the brightest from all corners of our great country, and he will appoint individuals who represent what is best about America, our diversity. America's greatest asset is our people. Al Gore will ask those from every part of society to participate, ensuring that his Administration will be the most diverse in history.

Source: Al Gore for President 2000 Web Site