John Lewis an example of why Congress should have term limits

Published by carolyn on Sun, 2017-01-15 13:53

Black on Black - Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to John Lewis by Barack Obama in 2011. This gives Lewis the right to speak out with "moral authority."


by Carolyn Yeager

IF WE DON'T HAVE TO WATCH WHAT WE SAY about our new president-elect, who was just selected by 63,000,000 Americans in a national election, why should we have to watch what we say about a single congressman who represents only 170,000 who voted for him, uncontested, in one district of the state of Georgia. The 5th congressional district John Lewis is elected from is 60% African-American, assuring him of re-election every time (because Blacks overwhelmingly vote for their own race).

I live in Texas. I don't give a fig about John Lewis in Georgia or what he thinks. I am White, so I also don't give a fig about all the drama he helped create back in the 1960's in Selma, Alabama. And, yes, I was aware of it at the time. Lewis was head of the communist "Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee" (SNCC - pronounced "Snick"). From my point of view, John Lewis did damage to the country I live in, and to my way of life. I don't have to respect him just because the elite media decided to adopt the civil rights movement as a sacred chapter in U.S. history and to protectively surround all involved with political correctness.

Illegitimate president?

I would ask this question: Is Rep. John Lewis committing treason by declaring president-elect Donald Trump an "illegitimate president" after a regular and fair U.S. election, and just 6 days before his inauguration? I think such an idea could be considered. At the least, he is subscribing to 'conspiracy theories' and/or 'fake news.' Lewis also said in an interview on "Meet the Press" broadcast Sunday that it would be "almost impossible" for him to work with President Trump once in office. I guess in that case Lewis should resign if he can't accept or work with the duly elected President.

Lewis also said "I would not invite him to come" to Selma, Alabama, site of Lewis' best known civil rights march, which all other U.S. presidents since the 1960's have been invited to visit. The story of Selma and Lewis' role in it have, of course, been romanticized now to the point of being more fiction than truth, and we can see that Lewis sees himself as "owning" Selma even though he was never elected to an office by people of Alabama.

Instead of rushing to his defense, Democrats should be admonishing Lewis for his statements ... as has one, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. For me, the long view is that John Lewis is irrelevant, he is no longer an actor on the scene, and, as Trump has pointed out, is not even doing an effective job for his district. He seems more interested in selling books and living off his reputation as an "icon" of the action that took place more than forty years ago.

30 and 46-year careers in Congress?

Term limits won't solve everything but it will put an end to this kind of foolishness. Two terms for president, two terms for senators, four terms for representatives is the right number for all to be able to  "make their mark."

John Lewis and John McCain have each been in Congress for 30 years already; the longer they're there, the less they do. The former is portrayed as a "civil-rights" veteran and the latter as a "war-hero" veteran. You criticize them at your own risk.

The ethically-challenged Charlie Rangel of Harlem is the longest-serving at present - he's spent 46 years [!!]  living the easy life in the House of Representatives. After so much time in the same job - and as the years pass - complacency, brain-rot and inflated self-importance are bound to set in.

As for John Lewis (and John McCain too), he needs to be brought down to earth about his own moral stature. President-elect Trump is not afraid to do just that. Good for him.

Comments

If you are addicted to posting on your website then I am rejoicing. You are irreplaceable!

I don't think it's an addiction, Daniel, but I do feel a responsibility to do my best to keep this site somewhat alive. I have a lot of demands on my time, but I've also simply slowed down a lot. I'm glad you and a few others like what I do.

Lewis has trafficked in racism all of his political career.  It’s his cash cow. And what was his merit?  He happened to be beside the Christian MLK at the right time.  What has he done since?  And isn’t it racism when you vote for someone because of their race?  Therefore, the US overall is certainly not racist since we have now had our first half-black president.  Also, I am always want to point out the debt that blacks owe to whites in terms of blood and treasure for it was the Northern Whites that brought slavery to an end.  It was the Christian voice in England’s parliament that bought this voice to America.  Racism smears all whites with the same brush, though, and Lewis represents the worst of this tactic in order to stay in power. 
 
Speaking of race I had sort of an epiphany that might add to the debate on religion and race that seems to be pointedly in favor of Israel in our political life:   No one is born a Jew, just like no one is born a Christian.  And though it might not be a conscious choice to be either, it is to stay either.  You don’t have to be a Jew simply because you were born of Jewish parents the same way you don’t have to be a Christian simply because you were born of Jewish parents.  You have a choice.  To say otherwise, I think, is institutionalized racism.   It follows that we choose to be Jewish or Christian because we think  it advantages us in some way.  But it is a choice.   
 

Also, it follows: No one is born a Jew, any more than being born a Christian. It is a choice. And even though that choice may be ingrained in us by our parents, if we continue in it is is still a choice we make. Therefore, any support for Israel based on religion is unconstitutional: "Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Therefore, as long as Israel promotes only the Jewish faith within her constitution any support for her is unconstitutional. The only way we should support Israel is if she includes all of her citizens, Arabs, Palestinians, and Christians to have an equal vote in a ONE STATE SOLUTION.  It is based on the fact that we are not born Christian, Muslim, or Jew. It's a choice. You can be born German but you can't be born Christian, For that, You must be born again.

There's a song from The Wizard of Oz that keeps running through my head when I see this photo.  Not the cowardly lion.  Not the tin man.  The other one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nauLgZISozs