John Lewis Has Seen This Movie Before
11 October 2008 2:45 pm by Scott Hopkins
Guest post by Scott Hopkins
Some tough words today for the Republican ticket from one of the greatest living civil rights icons:
“As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse. “During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate. George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.
“As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better.”
Obviously, these words from Representative Lewis have hit a sensitive spot with McCain, because his overreaction is downright laughable:
“I call on Sen. Obama to immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments that are so clearly designed to shut down debate 24 days before the election.”
Shut down debate? No, just the stoking of hate and fear against his opponent, who just so happens to be an African-American in a society where racism and dangerous extremism still run rampant. That’s not too much to ask, really.
And anyway, I thought he already figured out that it needed to stop before Lewis even said anything?
