POOLS OF VIOLENCE AND HATRED AND
DESPAIR THAT CAN ALWAYS RISE
AGAIN.
CONNER MAY BE GONE BUT TODAY WE
WITNESS WITH OUR OWN EYES POLICE
OFFICERS KNEELING ON THE NECKS
OF BLACK AMERICANS.
GEORGE WALLACE MAY BE GONE, BUT
WE CAN WITNESS OUR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SENDING AGENTS TO USE TEAR GAS AND BATONS AGAINST
TEAR GAS AND BATONS AGAINST
PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS.
WE MAY NO LONGER HAVE TO GUESS
THE NUMBER OF JELLY BEANS IN A
JAR IN ORDER TO CAST A BALLOT,
BUT EVEN AS WE SIT HERE THERE
ARE THOSE IN POWER WHO ARE DOING
THEIR DARNDEST TO DISCOURAGE
PEOPLE FROM VOTING BY CLOSING
POLLING LOCATIONS AND TARGETING
MINORITIES AND RESTRICTIVE ID
LAWS AND ATTACKING OUR VOTING
RIGHTS WITH SURGICAL PRECISION,
EVEN UNDERMINING THE POSTAL
SERVICE IN THE RUN UP TO AN
ELECTION THAT’S GOING TO BE
DEPENDENT ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS SO
PEOPLE DON’T GET SICK.
NOW, I KNOW THIS IS A
CELEBRATION OF
THERE ARE SOME WHO MIGHT SAY WE
SHOULDN’T DWELL ON SUCH THINGS.
>> PREACH!
PREACH!
>> BUT THAT’S WHY I’M TALKING
ABOUT IT.
JOHN LEWIS DEVOTED HIS TIME ON
THIS EARTH FIGHTING THE VERY
ATTACKS ON DEMOCRACY AND WHAT’S
BEST IN AMERICA THAT WE’RE
SEEING CIRCULATE RIGHT NOW.
HE KNEW THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF
US HAS A GOD-GIVEN POWER AND
THAT THE FATE OF THIS DEMOCRACY
DEPENDS ON HOW WE USE IT.
THAT DEMOCRACY ISN’T AUTOMATIC.
IT HAS TO BE NURTURED.
IT HAS TO BE TENDED TO.
WE HAVE TO WORK AT IT.
IT’S HARD.
AND SO, HE KNEW THAT IT DEPENDS
ON WHETHER WE SUMMON A MEASURE,
JUST A MEASURE OF JOHN’S MORAL
COURAGE TO QUESTION WHAT’S RIGHT
AND WHAT’S WRONG.
AND CALL THINGS AS THEY ARE.
HE SAID THAT AS LONG AS HE HAD A
BREATH IN HIS BODY HE WOULD DO
EVERYTHING HE COULD TO PRESERVE
THIS DEMOCRACY.
AND AS LONG AS WE HAVE BREATH IN
OUR BODIES WE HAD TO CONTINUE
HIS CAUSE.
IF WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO GROW
UP IN A DEMOCRACY, NOT JUST WITH
ELECTIONS BUT A TRUE DEMOCRACY,
A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, IN A
BIG HEARTED, TOLERANT, VIBRANT,
INCLUSIVE AMERICA OF PERPETUAL
