The American
civil rights movement got some bad news this week with seemingly federal troops
descending on protestors in Portland and the death of U.S. Representative John
Lewis. The Portland incident is being
seen as the President’s law and order stance in action. Lewis’ death is a blow to be sure, but this is
only a moment to say farewell and not give up the game he played for so long.
The President
has warned Democrat only mayors that he would take over their cities if they
could not control the streets. His idea
of control — if we are to account for the federal actions in Portland — seems to be
reminiscent of authoritarian regimes restoring order in other countries. Czechoslovakia, 1968 anyone?
Now the
President’s regime (let’s not fool ourselves that it is simply an
administration anymore) is shocked, simply shocked, that the protestors would
react to the violence visited upon them with, wait for it, more violent counter-protesting. In layman’s terms, rioting has not been squelched.
In retrospect Lewis’ passing could not come at a more inconvenient time.
Lewis was a
veteran of such demonstrations. I don’t
recall that he ever served in the military, but he was a soldier on the front
lines of American streets. He suffered a
concussion at the hands of Alabama state troopers in Selma and was arrested
numerous times. Lewis continued the
fight later as a representative to Georgia’s 5th Congressional District
comprised of mostly Georgia’s state capitol, Atlanta. So much for the hard-historical data common
to obituaries.
My first
thought when I heard about Lewis’ passing was, “Why now, Lord? Why now?”
We need his voice now more than ever.
Then I realized that this was a knee-jerk reaction to liberal angst.
The whole
point to Lewis’ lifelong work was simply this:
he was a human being the same as the rest of us. Like the rest of us he played his part in the
vast human drama and graciously exited the stage when forces greater than us
determined that his part was completed.
It’s selfish not to let him go now.
We won’t
hear his voice again, but thousands of other voices have risen up this summer
to take his place. These voices are
younger, more energetic than any surviving Freedom Fighters. Their motive — social and justice equality — is still
pure. On the other hand, they have much
to learn in navigating the complexities of enacting social change.
This is not
just their battle. This is our battle.
John Lewis’
voice is now silent, but his leadership will continue the fight.
(Thank you
reading. R.I.P. John Lewis)
