Lewis Adds another Arrest to his Record

         Last week John Lewis, along with 7 other members of Congress, was arrested for his actions at an immigration reform protest. For Representative Lewis, this was his 45^th arrest. (ABC News) Almost all of his arrests are due to his involvement in protests, most notably the protests of the Civil Rights Movement, which 40 of his arrests come from. Although getting arrested is usually a detriment for members of Congress, this last arrest could be extremely beneficial for Lewis. At a time when the government is shutdown and Congress is receiving poor reviews by the American public, Mr. Lewis showed his willingness to fight for the issues he believes in. A recent poll completed by the Huffington Post revealed that 60% of Americans would replace every member of Congress if they could. The report also concluded that 35% of Americans polled would replace many members of Congress, but not all. (Huffington Post, Ashtari) Most of the resentment that the public has towards Congress is that they are still being paid, but it doesn’t seem like they are working. The results of the poll suggest that the American public is frustrated with Congress and possibly feel that their members are serving themselves rather than the constituents that elected them.  170,000 Americans signed a petition this week to suspend paying members of Congress during the lockout. (Huffington Post, Reilly)For many, it seems unfair that furloughed government workers cannot get paid because of the actions of Congress. One can conclude that the American public does not feel that Congress is working and therefore should not be paid, just like the government workers who are not working because of the shutdown.  While Congress is still working, the mindset of the American public is important because they elect Congress. Therefore, it is important for members of Congress to promote the idea that they are actually working. Simply saying that they are working and negotiating the issues is not persuading the public to believe that they actually are. This is why Representative Lewis’ arrest is a beneficial move. While he may not be a major part in the negotiations surrounding the lockout, John Lewis is showing that he is still working. Mr. Lewis’ most recent arrest reaffirms his commitment to the issues that he feels are important and suggests to the American public that he is still willing to fight for these issues, even if it means another arrest. After the arrest, Representative Lewis provided this statement, “I’ve been arrested a few times, and I don’t mind getting arrested again for something that is right and fair and just”. (Politico)While the Huffington Post poll suggested that Americans no longer feel members of Congress are working for them, Mr. Lewis’ arrest for protesting could be used as a public relations tool in order to show that he is still fighting for the American people. 

 Sources:

1. ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/eight-members-of-congress-arrested-in-push-for-immigration-reform/  
2.  Huffington Post, Astari: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/11/government-shutdown-fire-congress_n_4085276.html
3. Huffington Post, Reilly: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/03/congress-pay-shutdown_n_4038206.html
4. Politico: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/immigration-rally-national-mall-98001.html