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RIP John Lewis

I never found him to be a particularly effective speaker. But everyone who knew the man personally seemed to be incredibly impressed by him.
 
Tonight I had a couple glasses of wine got on YouTube and listened to some of the eulogies about John McCain and George Herbert Walker Bush. The tributes were very impressive coming from both sides of the aisle. I eagerly look forward to listening to what they have to say about John Lewis.
 
Tonight I had a couple glasses of wine got on YouTube and listened to some of the eulogies about John McCain and George Herbert Walker Bush. The tributes were very impressive coming from both sides of the aisle. I eagerly look forward to listening to what they have to say about John Lewis.

I need to set your expectations on Trump though -- he's has been tweeting and retweeting all night but hasn't had time to mention John Lewis passing.



The inevitable contrast...



And even contrast-ier...

 
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I had the privilege of hearing him speak at IU just a few years ago. Very inspiring.
 
I disagreed with John Lewis' positions well over 90% of the time. But one thing you can't take away from him was his genuineness and honesty. No pandering and no sell outs to other interests for him. Everything he said and believed came straight from his heart.
 
What is particularly sad about the death of John Lewis is that he marks the end of the righteous Civil Rights Movement.

In the late 1980s I sat at a table next to the Reverend Al and Don King along with a cast of mafioso characters. And look like a scene out of Goodfellas. I never have taking Al Sharpton seriously . Don King was a convicted murderer who got a letter of recommendation to get out of prison from Coretta Scott King. Jesse Jackson was more interested in shaking down corporations in order for him to look the other way...

But John Lewis was always plugging away. He carried the Civil Rights fight into the political arena for the rest of his life. If only he could have been as eloquent as Martin Luther King.
 
I need to set your expectations on Trump though -- he's has been tweeting and retweeting all night but hasn't had time to mention John Lewis passing.



The inevitable contrast...



And even contrast-ier...

And now he and Lady G are playing golf. Priorities, you know. I’m sure a staff member will write something for him eventually. Another funeral he won’t be able to attend.
 
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Truly a great American. We lost a pillar tonight.

Yep. Truly.


Sadly, as much as I respect his civil rights works, I maybe more fear the passing of another great voice of non-violence.

In my “days of youth,” voices like King and Lewis dominated. And they “won.” The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 are among the most impactful laws for good the nation ever passed.

And they demonstrated a courage equal to, maybe even greater than, some of our greatest war heroes. (Our armies fought back. These guys carried no weapons except the moral force of “right”).

Now, those who are violent, and who rationalize violence, dominate. Their ideas constitute a disdain for guys like Lewis. He’s another brick gone from the wall that protects a reasonable society from forces of violence and evil.

Whatever they do in his honor won’t be quite enough.

How do you memorialize intangible moral courage?
 
Heather Cox Richardson wrote about Representative Lewis in yesterday's (last night's?) Letters from an American:

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair,” Lewis tweeted almost exactly a year before his death. “Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. We will find a way to make a way out of no way.”

Thank you, Sir. May you rest in power.

A significant loss at a difficult time. Rest well, Mr. Lewis. We appreciate you.
 
And now he and Lady G are playing golf. Priorities, you know. I’m sure a staff member will write something for him eventually. Another funeral he won’t be able to attend.
If Trump is smart (lulz) he'll just keep his mouth shut.

John Lewis declared Trump's presidency illegitimate before the inauguration. He has to hate his guts. Any good words would come off as fake bullshit.

Of course, he won't be able to resist getting his shots in. Maybe not right now, but soon enough.
 
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Marco really screwed up. Especially, since Marco is also in the pic himself...




I strongly doubt that Marco Rubio was the one who made the wrong link. When Trump was separating families and putting kids in cages at the border I sent his office an email stating that I was a registered independent but would switch to Republican to vote in the primaries against any candidate who supported Donald Trump if they didn't fix this this disaster at the border. About a month later I got a response from his office. It was very polite and it acknowledged that somebody had read my frustration. I was actually pretty impressed. I'm absolutely certain that Marco Rubio knew nothing about my email nor should he. But yes it is a very very embarrassing mistake but it's not the first time that mistake has been made.
 
I strongly doubt that Marco Rubio was the one who made the wrong link. When Trump was separating families and putting kids in cages at the border I sent his office an email stating that I was a registered independent but would switch to Republican to vote in the primaries against any candidate who supported Donald Trump if they didn't fix this this disaster at the border. About a month later I got a response from his office. It was very polite and it acknowledged that somebody had read my frustration. I was actually pretty impressed. I'm absolutely certain that Marco Rubio knew nothing about my email nor should he. But yes it is a very very embarrassing mistake but it's not the first time that mistake has been made.

what did you think when Obama had them in the cages at the border? No big deal then or just unaware?
 
what did you think when Obama had them in the cages at the border? No big deal then or just unaware?
I'm pretty sure I was unaware. I was out of the country more than in the country from 2004 to 2015. This may sound like the easy way out but it is what it is.
 
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