John Lewis,
the representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district stated
earlier this week that he is against using military action in Syria. After
reading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's resolution, Mr. Lewis expressed his
apprehension toward supporting the resolution because it was, “very, very
broad” (Lewis). This follows Lewis’ line of voting as he has not been
supportive of military action in the Middle East, and has been supportive of
removing U.S. troops from the Middle East (Issues). Since John Lewis is most
known for his work in civil and human rights, it is reasonable to suggest that
he would rather focus on these issues peacefully, rather than with military
action abroad. John Lewis also tweeted on Wednesday that, “we must continue to
do everything in our power to avoid military conflict”. Although Mr. Lewis did
not give a statement regarding the agreement reached on Saturday, it is likely
that he believes that the deal is a better plan of action than ordering
military action against the Syrian government.
Mr.
Lewis also released this statement after President Obama’s televised address on
Tuesday night, “I was very encouraged to hear that President
Obama and his administration are prepared and willing to give diplomacy a
chance to succeed. I look forward to the U.N. report that is forthcoming
and to hear the results of our talks with Russia. We must continue to do
everything in our power to avoid military conflict” (Lewis). It is not
surprising that Mr. Lewis has this opinion because of his experience in the
Civil Rights Movement. During the movement, John Lewis participated in many
peaceful demonstrations and campaigns in order to advance civil rights. While
participating in the Civil Right Movement, Mr. Lewis endured many acts of
violence against him, but never retaliated with a violent campaign. Rather all
of the demonstrations in the Civil Rights Movement were peaceful, with the
intent of moving society forward without violence. John Lewis’ statement
regarding Syria shows that he wants to advance the rights of the citizens of
Syria, but does not believe that violence, or military action, is needed in
order to achieve this feat. Therefore, it is understandable that he supports
working towards an agreement peacefully rather than acting with the military.
Mr. Lewis also traveled
to Birmingham, Alabama this week with several members of Congress, including
House Speaker John Boehner (R – Ohio) to award the Congressional Gold Medal to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of an attack on a church that led
to the deaths of four women. The attack became an important moment in the Civil
Rights Movement, which Lewis was a major part of as a one of the main leaders
along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mr. Lewis gave this statement regarding
the ceremony, “I think that it was fitting and appropriate that Congress paused and
honored these four little girls. Sometimes it takes a crisis and suffering and
pain to bring people together” (Harris). It has been a busy month for John
Lewis as he also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on
Washington in late August. Although there was a serious situation in Congress
this week regarding Syria, Mr. Lewis recognized the magnitude of this event and
was in attendance. As the most renowned civil rights leader in Congress, it was
important for John Lewis to attend this event and commemorate the women lost
during the attack. Mr. Lewis showed that members of Congress must be able to
adapt their schedules in order to include events such as this. It was also
important for Mr. Lewis to be in attendance of the ceremony because he is in
the process of revising the Voting Rights Act, after the Supreme Court ruled a
provision of the act unconstitutional earlier this year. As a crucial member in
creating the original bill, John Lewis is now working to rewrite the bill in
order to maintain the work he fought for during the Civil Rights Movement, “[I
am] not
going to stand by and let the Supreme Court take away” the voting rights
legislation he fought and bled for.” (Mock) Therefore, it was important for Mr.
Lewis to attend the ceremony because it shows that he is still a major
contributor to the Movement as he works on revising legislation that originated
out of the Civil Rights Movement.
Source List:
Harris, Hammil: Congress
honors Birmingham’s ‘four little girls’, September 10, 2013
On the Issues- John Lewis:
Lewis, John: Rep. John Lewis on President Obama’s Speech, September 11,
2013
Mock, Brentin: Congress May Fix the Voting Rights Act
This Year, September 13, 2013
http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/09/congress_may_fix_the_voting_rights_act_this_year_heres_why.html
1 comment:
I think this post brings attention to an opinion not covered by the media at large, namely enthusiastic support for the 'diplomatic solution' to the question of Syria's chemical weapons. It is interesting to see how Representative Lewis's support for the diplomatic option could stem from his past work in regards to human rights and his own experiences in the Civil Rights movement.
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