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SunsetDreams

(8,571 posts)
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 06:04 PM Sep 2012

Awesome Truth To Power Speech by Rep. John Lewis! UPDATE: WITH VIDEO & Text

Giving a history lesson, and talking about voter suppression by the GOP.

http://www.c-span.org/DNC/




Full text released by DNC
I first came to this city in 1961, the year Barack Obama was born. I was one of the 13 original "Freedom Riders." We were on a bus ride from Washington to New Orleans trying to test a recent Supreme Court ruling that banned racial discrimination on buses crossing state lines and in the stations that served them. Here in Charlotte, a young African-American rider got off the bus and tried to get a shoe shine in a so-called white waiting room. He was arrested and taken to jail.

On that same day, we continued on to Rock Hill, South Carolina, about 25 miles. From here, when my seatmate, Albert Bigelow, and I tried to enter a white waiting room, we were met by an angry mob that beat us and left us lying in a pool of blood. Some police officers came up and asked us whether we wanted to press charges. We said, "No, we come in peace, love and nonviolence." We said our struggle was not against individuals, but against unjust laws and customs. Our goal was true freedom for every American.

Since then, America has made a lot of progress. We are a different society than we were in 1961. And in 2008, we showed the world the true promise of America when we elected President Barack Obama. A few years ago, a man from Rock Hill, inspired by President Obama's election, decided to come forward. He came to my office in Washington and said, "I am one of the people who beat you. I want to apologize. Will you forgive me?" I said, "I accept your apology." He started crying. He gave me a hug. I hugged him back, and we both started crying. This man and I don't want to go back; we want to move forward.

Brothers and sisters, do you want to go back? Or do you want to keep America moving forward? My dear friends, your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union. Not too long ago, people stood in unmovable lines. They had to pass a so-called literacy test, pay a poll tax. On one occasion, a man was asked to count the number of bubbles in a bar of soap. On another occasion, one was asked to count the jelly beans in a jar—all to keep them from casting their ballots.

Today it is unbelievable that there are Republican officials still trying to stop some people from voting. They are changing the rules, cutting polling hours and imposing requirements intended to suppress the vote. The Republican leader in the Pennsylvania House even bragged that his state's new voter ID law is "gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state." That's not right. That's not fair. That's not just.

And similar efforts have been made in Texas, Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina. I've seen this before. I've lived this before. Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.

And we have come too far together to ever turn back. So we must not be silent. We must stand up, speak up and speak out. We must march to the polls like never before. We must come together and exercise our sacred right. And together, on November 6, we will re-elect the man who will lead America forward: President Barack Obama.


[font size=16] We must march to the polls like never, ever before[/font]
~ Rep. John Lewis
29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Awesome Truth To Power Speech by Rep. John Lewis! UPDATE: WITH VIDEO & Text (Original Post) SunsetDreams Sep 2012 OP
he's got me bawling Viva_La_Revolution Sep 2012 #1
Me too tears here! SunsetDreams Sep 2012 #2
Same here n/t LadyHawkAZ Sep 2012 #17
Moving! n/t ProSense Sep 2012 #3
He was brilliant malaise Sep 2012 #4
Wonderful speech! FrenchieCat Sep 2012 #5
He is an American Hero--I was looking forward to his speech. Evergreen Emerald Sep 2012 #6
Missed it (sadly) but proud he is MY congressman! CurtEastPoint Sep 2012 #7
I updated with video! SunsetDreams Sep 2012 #16
He always moves me to tears... Spazito Sep 2012 #8
Watching and getting choked up. calimary Sep 2012 #9
Only bad part - he should have been on during prime time. calimary Sep 2012 #10
I've just been listening to Greg Palast on the Carolyn Cayse Visionary Activist Show AnotherDreamWeaver Sep 2012 #11
Yes I did nmbluesky Sep 2012 #12
He almost had me in tears when he talked about meeting the man who kestrel91316 Sep 2012 #13
Would'nt miss him. I am a Georgian. n/t RebelOne Sep 2012 #14
Rep. John Lewis Shankapotomus Sep 2012 #15
kick SunsetDreams Sep 2012 #18
Thanks so much for posting jsmirman Sep 2012 #19
It was my honor SunsetDreams Sep 2012 #21
I could listen to him for hours jsmirman Sep 2012 #25
Thank you so much for posting this! nt nc4bo Sep 2012 #20
Thank you, John Lewis! (an SunsetDreams for posting) freshwest Sep 2012 #22
kicking this important speech nt SunsetDreams Sep 2012 #23
deeply moving shireen Sep 2012 #24
Powerful. "Voter ID" is shameful. Faygo Kid Sep 2012 #26
Thank you! proverbialwisdom Sep 2012 #27
Thanks for posting this davidpdx Sep 2012 #28
Beautiful speech peace frog Sep 2012 #29

calimary

(80,699 posts)
9. Watching and getting choked up.
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 06:12 PM
Sep 2012

I felt as though I wanted to stand, not sit. It looked like pretty much everybody else in that convention felt similarly.

calimary

(80,699 posts)
10. Only bad part - he should have been on during prime time.
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 06:13 PM
Sep 2012

EVERYONE needs to hear what he has to say.

 

kestrel91316

(51,666 posts)
13. He almost had me in tears when he talked about meeting the man who
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 06:16 PM
Sep 2012

beat him all those years ago and how he asked for Lewis' forgiveness.

Shankapotomus

(4,840 posts)
15. Rep. John Lewis
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 06:18 PM
Sep 2012

is a phenomenal speaker. Had the crowd in tears. They should have given him a prime time spot.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
28. Thanks for posting this
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 08:09 PM
Sep 2012

I missed it, but will watch it later. Until 2008 I didn't know who Lewis was, but since then I am a big admirer.

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