Trump on the Hon. John Lewis:
Or why Trump insulted a national hero on MLK weekend, and why you should ask your reps to decline their invitations to the Inauguration.
Timeline:
- The Hon. John Lewis (D-GA 5) has served in Congress for 30 years.
- But before that, he was a civil rights hero, who marched with Dr. King, fought against racism and basically, did everything he could to make life a little better for you and I.
- He's been extremely vocal against Trump, finally coming out and saying he believes Trump to be an illegitimate president, because of Russian interference.
- Trump, predictably, lost his temper. Which has led to...
- Dems pulling out of attending the inauguration, 38 at last count.
- So, it's worth asking your reps to join in the boycott - scroll down for the script.
- It should be noted: Senate Dems are unlikely to join. There are several from red states who are in tough positions, and likely do not want to alienate prospective voters, since they're all up in 2018.
- We cannot hate them for this, because we WANT them to keep their seats. The alternative is a Republican taking their spot. Do you really want that?
- With that being said, worth continuing to ask House Reps, and also encouraging Senators in blue states like Kamala Harris of California to refuse to attend.
Phone script:
You: Hi, my name is [name]. I'm calling from [zip code].
For Democratic reps:
You: I would like to ask [rep name] to please express their support for Rep. John Lewis, especially in light of President-Elect Trump's comments over the weekend.
You: Specifically, I would like to ask for [rep name] to not attend the Inauguration on Friday. Will they join the other 38 reps who are declining to attend? [wait for answer]
You: Great! Thank you and have a good day.
(Remember: You will likely not get an answer from a Dem Senator in a red state. And that's okay, since we want them to be around after 2018 midterms.)
For Republican reps:
You: I would like to ask [rep name] consider expressing their support for Rep. John Lewis, especially given the comments that were made over the weekend.
You: Rep John Lewis has done much in the service of our nation, and I believe he deserves respect from all.
You: Great! Thank you and have a good day.
For Democratic reps:
You: I would like to ask [rep name] to please express their support for Rep. John Lewis, especially in light of President-Elect Trump's comments over the weekend.
You: Specifically, I would like to ask for [rep name] to not attend the Inauguration on Friday. Will they join the other 38 reps who are declining to attend? [wait for answer]
You: Great! Thank you and have a good day.
(Remember: You will likely not get an answer from a Dem Senator in a red state. And that's okay, since we want them to be around after 2018 midterms.)
For Republican reps:
You: I would like to ask [rep name] consider expressing their support for Rep. John Lewis, especially given the comments that were made over the weekend.
You: Rep John Lewis has done much in the service of our nation, and I believe he deserves respect from all.
You: Great! Thank you and have a good day.
Email script:
Date
Rep Name
Address
Address
Dear Rep Name:
I am writing to encourage to you speak out in support of the Hon. John Lewis. As you have likely seen, he was criticized by the incoming President Elect on the weekend leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Rep. John Lewis has dedicated decades of his life to improving life for the rest of us, and is warranted the respect that comes with that type of dedicated service for our nation.
Consequently, I would like to also ask that you not attend the Inauguration on Friday. Please consider joining your 38 House colleagues, as a sign that we must continue to stand for the values and courage that Rep. John Lewis has displayed throughout his career.
Warmest regards,
[name]
[Address]
[Address}