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Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

We survived Breitbartpocalypse!

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Almost as fun as hiking the Appalachian Trail

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

What fresh hell is this?

Wetsuit optional.

I thought we were promised Infrastructure Week.

Screw the Judean People’s Front. Splitters.

Nevertheless, she persisted.

This blog will pay for itself.

The house always wins.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Trump is going to draw a dick on that dog with a sharpie, isn’t he?

Where tasty lettuce and good mustard aren’t elitist.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

We need fewer warriors in public service and more gardeners.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Hot air and ill-informed banter

It’s not even safe to go out and pick up 2 days worth of poop anymore.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn – Nancy Pelosi

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Congress John Lewis Has Died

Congress John Lewis Has Died

by | 48 Comments

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The maker of Good Trouble, a giant of a man with a heart that encompassed millions and strength of purpose that forged a path for civil rights – has died. Rest well, sir. You’ve earned it. May we all pick up the work that remains and do as well as he did. Open thread.

I do suggest watching the documentary on him in his honor.

Reader Interactions

48Comments

  1. 1.

    Cheryl Rofer

    May we continue his work.

  2. 2.

    Elizabelle

    Hello ruemara.  Yes, it would be a pleasure to watch that documentary.  We are better for John Lewis having lived.  A life well lived.

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    Hour long tribute about Lewis coming on MSNBC in a few minutes, at the top of the hour.

  8. 8.

    NotMax

    @Mike in NC

    “He was a black man. Not a lot of people know that.”

    //

  9. 9.

    Ohio Mom

    I’d forgotten he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last December. If I’d remembered, I wouldn’t have been so shocked. That’s a particularly rotten and fast-moving disease.

    I hope he was comforted by the BLM protests, and by the tide turning against Trump.

  10. 10.

    Elizabelle

    @Mike in NC:   And will lessen himself.  Again.  Don’t even want to think about that small, menial creature.

    We are speaking of greatness that we appreciated in his lifetime, and now will miss.  But not forget.

  11. 11.

    Elizabelle

    @Ohio Mom:   Yeah.  He saw that the BLM movement found its mark, and the tide is turning.  Glad he lived to see that happen.

  12. 12.

    Another Scott

    Very sad news.

    Thank you, ruemara.

    https://johnlewis.house.gov/issues/voting-rights

    VOTING RIGHTS

    Voting rights are under attack in America. Quietly, gradually, state-by-state, the right to vote – a right that many people died to secure – is being taken away. The Brennan Center released a report that shows that voting law changes across the nation will make it significantly harder for more than 5 million voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote. This should not be happening.

    Today, we should be making it easy, simple, and convenient to vote. Instead, legislatures around the nation are creating barriers and making it more difficult for citizens to vote. There is not just one law, but many types of laws that are disenfranchising millions of voters: voter photo identification laws, proof of citizenship laws, barriers to registration, elimination of early voting and absentee voting, and laws making it harder to restore voting rights for people who have paid their debt to society. These laws are a barrier to an inclusive democracy. We are stepping backward toward another dark time in our history.

    We cannot separate the dangerous trend across this nation from our history and the struggle for the right to vote. Before the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, not so very long ago, it was almost impossible for some citizens to register and vote. Many were harassed, jailed, beaten, and some were even killed for trying to participate in the democratic process.

    The right to vote is precious and almost sacred, and one of the most important blessings of our democracy. Today we must be vigilant in protecting that blessing.

    The history of the right to vote in America is a history of conflict, of struggling for the right to vote. Many people died trying to protect that right. I was beaten, and jailed because I stood up for it. For millions like me, the struggle for the right to vote is not mere history; it is experience. We should not take a step backward with new poll taxes and voter ID laws and barriers to voting. We must ensure every vote and every voter counts.

    The vote is the most powerful, non-violent tool we have in a democratic society. We must not allow the power of the vote to be neutralized. We must never go back.

    We must remember all he has done for all of us, and fight for the the vote.

    And use the vote wisely.

    RIP Congressman Lewis. Peace to your friends and family.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  15. 15.

    ruemara

    Congress John Lewis Has Died

     

    Re-posting this. From a day I was so honored to meet and listen to him. It stayed with me and buoyed me up.

  19. 19.

    Ruckus

    @ruemara: 
    That had to have been amazing, to met him.
    I’ve met people who had been heroes to me for one reason or another and most often I’ve been disappointed because they turned out to be special for one specific talent and far less for everything else. I imagine that John Lewis was just a special human.

  20. 20.

    Steeplejack

    RIP John Lewis. 🙏

    Post title: “Congressman John Lewis” or just “John Lewis.”

  21. 21.

    Bonnie

    This has broken my heart.  I have nothing but tears.  America truly is hell with trump at the helm and now both John Lewis and Elijah Cummings have left us.

  23. 23.

    Emma from FL

    I looked over Jordan and what did I see
    Coming for to carry he home
    A band of angels coming after me
    Coming for to carry me home
    Swing low, sweet chariot
    Coming for to carry me home
    Swing low, sweet chariot
    Coming for to carry me home

    Have a good trip, Congressman.

  24. 24.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack: I’m sure ruemara knows that.  Brains are funny things.  When you’re experiencing a loss, so much processing power is taken up with “oh my god” that small things get dropped by the brain.  Things like this don’t matter.

    When my mom died, I kept pressing the O on my phone instead of the 0.  I will never forget my mom, years before she died, telling me that had happened to her when her mom died.

  26. 26.

    WaterGirl

    @Aleta: I posted something similar at #14, but I didn’t describe what it was.  It made me feel better to watch it.  How can this man be gone?

    edit: of course, I sobbed the whole time I watched it, not exactly sure how it could make me feel better while I was sobbing, but somehow it did.  John Lewis knew pain, but also joy.  Even after he lost his beloved wife, he still found joy in life and stayed in the fight.

  28. 28.

    Ruckus

    @rikyrah: 
    That is something.
    I commented in Adam’s thread that John Lewis was a man who transcended humanity and left the world a far better place by his being here, and that’s something not many humans actually do. Aiding and abetting you being added to the mix is a pretty nice bonus.

  30. 30.

    AJ

    ruemara ty for this

    What a life, what a loss, my gosh

    Love the picture you shared and that you got to meet him. Amazing

    Hope you are getting what you need in the wake of this news 🙏🏻

  35. 35.

    Uninvited Guest

    @WaterGirl: There’s a three part autobiographical comic entitled March that was based at least partially on his life. Hence, Comic Con.

  36. 36.

    Mary G

    We must save our country from the fascists in honor of his memory. What a giant among men. Those videos of him dancing to “Happy” are some of my favorites.

  40. 40.

    Jay

    They used Predator drones as signal interceptors and aerial cameras in Minneapolis, this may be the same or for helicopter coverage. Someone please keep an eye on one of the flight trackers to see if anything suspicious shows up. Don’t see anything as 18 Jul 0130 PDT.— The Brown Shirts are wearing camo. (@Spkr2Managers) July 18, 2020

  41. 41.

    Jay

    I'm going to put this out here again:I live in PortlandWe vote Blue every presidential electionOur governor is a DemocratOur reps are DemocratsVoting blue did not save us from Portland being occupied first by portland police, and then federal officers.— M🖋Kistulot (@Carin_McLeoud) July 17, 2020

  44. 44.

    Jay

    Is this statement referring to that viral video, though?Because CBP says the agents ID’d themselves and were wearing badges that identified them as CBP (no and no), and there definitely wasn’t a violent mob — just a few bystanders who didn’t even approach the “agents”. https://t.co/ywMCCVRMiQ— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) July 17, 2020

  47. 47.

    Mousebumples

    Rest in Peace, John Lewis. You will be missed.

    Btw, i own (and recommend) the March trilogy. I’ll have to see about watching the documentary too, though, so thanks for the link above.

  48. 48.

    laura

    John Lewis used his life – his entire physical and intellectual being until his final breath to advance justice by non-violent means- for a Country to live up to it’s promise, the right to live a life of dignity purpose and happiness. Joyful to the end, inspiring in life and now in rest. How much he strove, how much he accomplished, how many lives he touched- how we owe him a debt of gratitude, and how can we honor his life and his contributions. Let’s carry on and keep him in our heart doing the hard work starting with riding ourselves of a man who’s the polar opposite of John Lewis in every regard.

    Rest in power, you gave your all and your best, joyful warrior for justice.

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