Fighting Back: John Lewis – “Speak up and speak out in the face of injustice”

 
 

The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.

(Congressman John Lewis of Georgia delivered the Weekly Democratic Address. In this week’s address, Lewis commemorates the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by reminding Americans to commit themselves to standing up in the face of injustice. )
Rep. Lewis:

“In the past 50 years, as a nation and as a people, we have made progress. But there are new forces trying to take us back, trying to turn back the clock, trying to take us to a darker time.

“Times like these can seem overwhelming, but I ask you to recommit yourself to the way of love, the way of peace, and the way of nonviolence.

“I ask you to look in your heart and to trust that justice will prevail.

“If Dr. King were with us today, he would continue to push our country to respect the dignity and the worth of every human being – no matter where they are born, no matter their race, age, religion, or gender identity.

“He would argue that we have a right to know what is in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.

“He would preach that we have a mission, an obligation, and a mandate to leave this country and this little planet a little cleaner, a little greener, and a little more peaceful for generations yet unborn.

“Most importantly, if Dr. King were alive, he would ask each of us to speak up, to speak out in the face of injustice, and he would demand that each and every one of us to do our part and do it well.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

Transcript: Congressman John Lewis Delivers Weekly Democratic Address

“Hello. I am John Lewis, and I represent Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District.

“On April 4, our nation and the world paused to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Growing up as a boy in rural Alabama, I remember when Rosa Parks and Dr. King came together in December 1955 to launch the bus boycott in Montgomery.

“As a young man, I wrote Dr. King a letter, and his response changed my life forever. Dr. King was my inspiration, my leader, and my mentor. He was my friend.

“Back then, segregation and racial discrimination were all around us – in the voting booth, in the courtroom, and in the classroom.

“In many parts of our country, people of different races could not sit together on a bus, sleep in the some hotel, or drink water from the same fountain.

“Dr. King taught us the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence and sparked a nonviolent revolution – a revolution of values, a revolution of ideas, and a revolution of action.

“On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial the world learned of his dream of building the beloved community.

“Over the years, he convinced President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, and President Johnson to understand that civil rights was a moral issue.

“He used his moral leadership to fight for equal justice for sanitation workers, for people of color, for those who had been left out and left behind.

“In particular, I will never forget when Dr. King spoke in Berlin against the danger of building walls. He reminded the global family – the global community – that God’s children were on both sides of the wall.

“In the past 50 years, as a nation and as a people, we have made progress. But there are new forces trying to take us back, trying to turn back the clock, trying to take us to a darker time.

“Times like these can seem overwhelming, but I ask you to recommit yourself to the way of love, the way of peace, and the way of nonviolence.

“I ask you to look in your heart and to trust that justice will prevail.

“If Dr. King were with us today, he would continue to push our country to respect the dignity and the worth of every human being – no matter where they are born, no matter their race, age, religion, or gender identity.

“He would argue that we have a right to know what is in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.

“He would preach that we have a mission, an obligation, and a mandate to leave this country and this little planet a little cleaner, a little greener, and a little more peaceful for generations yet unborn.

“Most importantly, if Dr. King were alive, he would ask each of us to speak up, to speak out in the face of injustice, and he would demand that each and every one of us to do our part and do it well.

“Thank you.”

Any bolding has been added.

~

(Note: There was no Democratic Party leadership news conference since Congress was in recess)

~

Pelosi Statement on the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement marking the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

“Fifty years ago, on the balcony of a motel in Memphis, Tennessee, an assassin’s bullet took the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On that tragic day, the world lost a clarion voice for truth and justice, but the legacy of Dr. King endures in the millions around the world who continue to fight for a better future for themselves and their children.

“Dr. King united a generation in the struggle to dismantle discrimination in our nation’s laws as well as in the hearts and minds of its citizens. Through his unflinching faith in God and his fellow man, Dr. King led a movement that achieved extraordinary progress for African Americans, the working poor and marginalized communities across the country, ensuring that justice and equality would remain the birthright of every American. Today, the lasting legacy of these remarkable achievements form the bedrock of our ongoing efforts to build a more perfect union.

“As we mark fifty years since the loss of Dr. King, we must honor his memory and the memories of those who stood, marched and fought by his side by continuing to protect the right to vote, lift up struggling communities, expand access to a quality education and break the cycle of poverty and injustice that continue to plague millions of Americans.

“As Democrats and as Americans, it is our honor and our responsibility to advance Dr. King’s noble work. Together, we can rededicate ourselves to furthering the remarkable vision of this singular man, a man who stood on the mountaintop, saw the promised land and set us on the path toward peace and justice for all.”

~

The Republican #TaxScam – hated by everyone except the donor class and their lackeys in Congress.

GOP’s Failing Tax Scam

Trump went to West Virginia in another attempt to sell the GOP tax scam – a bill that ultimately raises taxes on 86 million middle class families.

And after months of empty promises and hype, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are watching their dishonest tax scam talking points collapse in the eyes of hard-working Americans.

The Hill: GOP tax message hits a snag

More than three months after the passage of the GOP’s tax-cut law, new surveys suggest that many people don’t think they are getting bigger paychecks … A CNBC poll suggested that many people aren’t noticing much of a change from the law.

New York Magazine: Polls: After GOP Tax Bill Went Into Effect, It Became Less Popular

The percentage of Americans who believe their taxes have gone down remains resolutely low: In Monmouth’s poll, just 24 percent of voters say they expect their federal taxes to go down.

New York Times: Blue-Collar Trump Voters Are Shrugging at Their Tax Cuts

The result has hardly been a windfall, economically or politically … some are convinced that what the tax cut has given them upfront will ultimately fade.

Washington Examiner: Storm clouds: More say tax cuts hurt than help, Trump voters scorn Ryan, McConnell

More voters believe that 2017 tax cuts on which the GOP is building its 2018 election strategy will do them more harm than good … And overall, voter don’t seem jazzed by the cuts.

Huffington Post: Republicans Are Seeing Weak Returns On The Tax Law

About one-quarter of Americans say they’ve seen an increase in their paycheck as a result of the law, but just 4 percent that they consider the increase to be a substantial one.

Why are the majority of hard-working families not seeing benefits from the GOP tax scam? Because Republicans prioritized handing massive tax breaks to corporations and the top one percent, while abandoning American workers.

New York Times: Trump’s Tax Cuts in Hand, Companies Spend More on Themselves Than on Wages

So far, companies are using much of the money for something with a more narrow benefit: buying their own shares … Those so-called buybacks are good for shareholders, including the senior executives who tend to be big owners of their companies’ stock.

Vox: Corporate stock buybacks are booming, thanks to the Republican tax cuts

Right after Republicans in Congress passed their tax bill, lowering tax rates on corporations, companies delivered a very public thank-you: a series of bonus and investment announcements. It was a major PR opportunity for both corporate America and the GOP, meant to show that American businesses were sharing their billions of dollars in tax cut savings with their workers and the broader economy. But over the next few months, the real winners from the corporate tax cut became clear — not workers and consumers, but shareholders.

WMNF: In the Wake of the GOP Tax Bill Workers Face Layoffs and Smaller Bonuses

If you look from corporation to corporation, the dollars that are being used to buy back stocks and pay additional dividends absolutely dwarf the amount that is going to bonuses.

USA TODAY Editorial: Corporate America Invites A Backlash

The tax bill was sold as a way to create jobs and boost stagnant wages. So far, at least, corporations have been showing more concern about shareholders than about employees or the economy as a whole. In fact, it is hard to imagine a better strategy for fomenting a backlash and ensuring that the new low rates don’t last.
[…]

With their tax bill, the GOP passed a scam that gives 83 percent of the tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent – putting corporations and the richest ahead of the ‘forgotten men and women.’

As President Trump and Congressional Republicans continue to promote their tax scam that does nothing for American workers, Democrats continue to fight for a fair, bipartisan tax code for our country’s hard-working families with A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future.

More (including links to each article) is at the newsroom link.

~