The South Lawn: "An Open Letter to Rep. John Lewis"

[Mufaddal]

This was a pretty thoughtful response.

Representative Lewis,

Yesterday, you stated the following about Bernie Sanders’s record on fighting for civil rights in the 1960s:

“I never saw him. I never met him. I was chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for three years, from 1963 to 1966. I was involved with the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery and directed (the) voter education project for six years. But I met Hillary Clinton. I met President (Bill) Clinton.”

We are going to ignore the fact that Hillary Clinton was a Goldwater Girl, or that you once stated to a Clinton biographer that, “[t]he first time I ever heard of Bill Clinton was the 1970s”, or that it has already been well-established that Sanders worked with the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) at the University of Chicago in the 1960s. We are also going to leave aside the fact that every mention of Bill Clinton in your book Walking With The Wind described an instance that he opposed some policy that you cherished.

Presidential politics might be the backdrop for this story, Representative Lewis, but this has nothing to do with Bernie Sanders. The hurtful nature of your comments has to do with your erasure of the people who worked outside of the spotlight and the national press to make sure that the Civil Rights Movement touched every corner of Black America. As I said earlier, you did not know or meet my grandmother. Your lack of acquaintance with her does not counterfeit the work she put in, like it does not counterfeit the work of any other person you did not know and yet sought to bring to birth a better world than the one they came into.

Full article with links: https://thesouthlawn.org/2016/02/12/an-open-letter-to-rep-john-lewis/

[LiberalElite]

1. .

I commented on the NYTimes today that just because Mr. Lewis doesn't recall seeing Sen. Sanders doesn't really mean that much, because no one remembers everything and everybody all the time.

[Mufaddal]

4. Keith Ellison had a good response as well

"He didn't see Bernie Sanders because Bernie Sanders was doing fair and open housing in Chicago -- that's why he didn't see him. No matter how good your eyesight is -- if you are standing in Alabama, you can't see people in Chicago," Ellison told CNN. "That doesn't mean he wasn't absolutely there, fighting for justice, fighting for open housing."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/12/politics/keith-ellison-bernie-sanders-john-lewis/index.html

[tk2kewl]

2. I think it would be the right thing for Rep Lewis to "clarify" his remarks.

He could walk it back gracefully stating his intention was not to disparage and that although he did not meet Sen Sanders in the 60s, he is aware of his activities during that era and his continuos commitment to civil rights

[redwitch]

3. Yes. nt

[Contrary1]

5. I would venture that he and a certain someone have already discussed this...

and decided against it.

Besides, if Hillary was as honest and upstanding as many here claim, she would clarify it herself.

The Freedom Rides were in 1961
The Voter Education Project was from 1962-1968
Lewis chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1963 to 1966.
The march from Selma to Montgomery was in 1965

Bill and Hillary met at Yale in 1970 or 71, depending on the source.

[tk2kewl]

6. It's all to try to restart the racist Bernie bro meme and it is ugly politics

[winter is coming]

10. +1. Camp Weathervane is *desperate* to restart that meme. n/t

[ChiciB1]

19. Ugly Politics Has Become So Normal Now, That Far Too Many

people don't recognize anything different! I'm willing to give some slack to those who HAVE NEVER seen anything other than the STATUS QUO. They've never seen political adversaries working together for THE GREATER GOOD and that's the rat hole we're traversing through.

IMO, the path this country is one is a Road to destruction fueled by GREED & MONEY! The game is rigged and for way too long this country has been sleeping an uneasy sleep. Knowing in their gut that something needs to change all the while giving into no longer believing that there is a possibility that anything will change.

Going back to square ONE is scary and it's a gamble... but in my heart of hearts I KNOW that it's TIME TO BITE THE BULLET, because what we have now IS NOT WORKING! And by beating the drum for the SAFE thing will never bring any progress.

Simply put... THE RICH KEEP GETTING RICHER and THE POOR KEEP GETTING POORER! So few are willing to look behind the curtain and find that THE POWER we've allowed for so long is the same thing Dorothy FOUND OUT in the Wizard of Oz.

If nothing changes and nobody is willing to peek behind the curtain you can only EXPECT more FEAR and the heavy BOOT on the back of your neck!

How many here love to bet at Las Vegas or dream of winning the lottery? I think the numbers are high... so time to gamble! We just might win THIS TIME! For me I'm tired, fed up and mostly disgusted that I've been USED for waaaaaaay to long!

I'm gonna place my bet on Bernie!

[tk2kewl]

20. The simple fact is that there is no more time for the bullshit, incrementalism, pragmatism ...

or whatever nonsense label they want to put on the "do nothing" agenda because they've got theirs. We are on the verge of significant climatological change and ecological collapse. If we do not start turning the ship now we are headed for a royally fucked future. I'm 50 and have an 8 year old son. I don't want him to have to live through hell on earth.

I watched the speech in this first video in this thread last night:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=329156

I've been a little extra riled up since.

[ChiciB1]

23. Well Riled Up Is Simplicity.. I'm Ready To Fight Back...

I'm SICK of this nonsense of TIT FOR TAT! If people are so blind that they are unable to look at what goes on beyond their front door, the it's CRISIS time. Because IF this opportunity is squashed, this country will wait many years and will face crisis after crisis stuck in the same rut. I'm a Boomer and older than you, I've seen this slow demise happening for way too long. I have kids and grand kids and I'm TIRED of living in FEAR about what may happen.

Bernie is the FIRST candidate that I can truly say I feel wants nothing more than to help the people of this country from going over the cliff. YES, I am mad and my thoughts of the STATUS QUO continuing is just not acceptable anymore and THIS man has come at a time when too many have no idea where to turn or what to do. It's time for us to play the game of "follow the leader! and give him our support. I've seen so much for far too many years, and I've searched my soul to find what benefit he's going to get from taking on the system that emanates such a putrid smell. I can find NOTHING he wants other than to HELP a Nation that's dying under the weight of GREED!

And WE must help him, because I see very few who are trying to help us "We The People" who only yearn for fairness. Why is a man who wants to level the playing field being so vilified? I KNOW he's not doing this to line his pockets, I know he's not doing this for fame... so the only reason I can come up with is that he BELIEVES we simply have to find a new path that saves us from ourselves. A path where Democracy is still what this country REALLY is about.

Ok, I'm done for tonight... but I only want to believe WE ARE BETTER than what we've become.

[LovingA2andMI]

13. Would Be The Right Thing...

It Is Is Doubtful He Will --- Which Is Why He DESERVES To Be Called Out. Point, Blank, Period.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1280117133

[Robbins]

16. except

I am sure he meant to slander bernie by saying he wasn't part of civil rights movement and the clintons were.it was part of the swiftboating of bernie.

[tk2kewl]

18. There's the right thing and then there's the wrong thing

[Doctor_J]

7. It's sad to see a man of Lewis stature joining this attempted character assassination

He's reducing himself to David Brock level.

[Mufaddal]

9. I think that is crossing a line

I agree the guy clearly "got his mind right." I think calling him an Uncle Tom is too much, and I wish you hadn't done that.

[winter is coming]

11. Offensive and wrong. n/t

[Scruffy1]

15. As a stanch Bernie man I would never dis John Lewis.

I lived through the civil rights fights of the sixties (barely). He always has my respect and has the right to support whomever he wants. Wasn't that what we and especially he fought for. All he was saying he never saw him and that he knows and has worked with Bill and Hillary. We already know he supports Hillary and has his own reasons for doing this and I respect that. Hell, he's probably got more scars than me and that's a lot.

[marble falls]

26. As a Bernie supporter, I would support a John Lewis Presidential run, too. How about John Lewis ....

John Lewis for VP?

[BillZBubb]

12. We had a 7-0 jury Hide It on the previous post.

People need to keep their insults in check. It is easy to cross the line.

[Uncle Joe]

14. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Mufaddal.

[angrychair]

17. Excellent points

Did he know Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner? They, like far to many, gave their lives for CORE and the civil rights movement. I would suspect he did not know them until after they died.

[ChiciB1]

21. I Don't Suspect He Didn't Know Them, I'm Sure He Didn't Know

them. JUST LIKE THE MILLION others who never did. YOU probably NEVER knew them! MOST people NEVER knew them! It was pretty much UNDERGROUND and they always hoped NOBODY knew them. That's WHY they had to "hide" what they were doing!

Your comment is made KNOWING that this is only something to inflame or bait others. Did you know them?? I lived through this, I lived in TEXAS and SAW this crap... The people who killed them were protected for many, many years hidden behind the WHITE SHEETS OF THE KLAN!

I actually wonder if John Lewis knew them!

I'm sorry, but just because he wasn't there at that PLACE at that TIME does not mean he wasn't part of the movement! I know hardly ANYBODY knew me! But then I'm only a white woman who had 2 kids and was unable to MARCH because I worked and my husband worked and we were unable to leave because we needed to pay the rent! But I know what I wanted to do, I know I wanted to MARCH and I WANTED to be a radical activist. Some of us only got to join together in opposition and speak out against INJUSTICE in our own way!!!!! Visibility doesn't mean you DIDN'T know or CARE!

I'm fed up with this finger pointing, I'm sure most here KNOW he was a REAL activist fighting for the same things John Lewis did! If John Lewis says what he says, SO effin WHAt!! Please explain to me as Hillary would say "at this point, what difference does it make???" He fought for Civil Rights there IS NO DOUBT! Do I know he held Lewis's hand, NO I don't... but I do know he HASN'T been bought and he's hasn't sold out.

I BELIEVE Bernie's integrity shines brighter more than most are willing to admit. Regardless if he wins or not, HE HAS take on Goliath and that in and of itself shows me where his heart is. He's not doing this for GLORIFICATION, he's doing this for "we the the people!" Taking on an entire POLITICAL MACHINE and to still be standing is nothing more than phenomenal!

What is he asking from us? He's asking us FOR HELP!! And I'm gonna do all I can to help because his record is so much CLEANER & Uncompromised than almost every single politician I know. He has NOT stuck his finger in the wind to see how it blows. What about YOU???

[snagglepuss]

22. Wow what a post!

Absolutely brilliantly stated!

[ChiciB1]

24. That You... Just Facts As I See Them! n/t

[libdem4life]

25. Must admit I don't always read the entire story...just the posted part sometimes. But this time I

was glad I did. It was a short, but powerful article and the photo and the relevance was riveting, at least to me. The unsung heroes in every circumstance and adventure make up the cast and add to the power of the leaders. For without them, they have no one to lead. Sounds a bit trite, but seemed appropriate.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

27. Much too little and much too late

what JL did was ugly - and..

He should have listed some of the great things Sanders has done. The fact that he did not take this opportunity to praise Sanders shows that he is still doing the ugly thing. He has had time to put together a thoughtful response and he FAILED.