Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis (on the far right) in 1965. Photo from the National Archives

A year ago, if you had told me these four men were on a collision course I wouldn’t have believed you. Here we are, though, on the day set aside to remember the birth of Dr. King and the movement he led and the four men are in the headlines.

I remember when my youngest daughter was in school. One day while working on homework, she asked me if I remembered the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King. For her, it was like asking me if I remember Abraham Lincoln or Moses. I was one of the old people in her eyes. I think I was 42 or 43 at the time. I told her yes, I did remember Martin Luther King, Jr. clearly since it was not that long ago. I told her that she should remember the Civil Rights Movement because it is still going on and will not end in any of our lifetimes.

This last election should be clear evidence of that.

I also told her I knew one of the great men of the Civil Rights struggle, Congressman John Lewis. I had lobbied him a few times. Unsuccessfully I might add. He was not buying what I was selling and looking back on it, his objections to my story were valid. He is a very smart man. He is also a very courageous man.

In 1965, while Donald Trump was evading the draft, John Lewis was getting his head bashed in on the Selma Bridge marching with Dr. King for Civil Rights. On that bloody Sunday in March of 1965, Congressman Lewis was one of those bloodied in the name of freedom and equality.

He stood up against injustice and was a lightning rod for change. He still is a lightning rod against injustice half a century later.

I believe of great people that they are not great and visionary at just a certain moment in history. I’ve been honored to know many great people in my day. A common theme with all who are great is that they tend to be great at all times. We should listen to them. Congressman Lewis is a partisan Democrat. I understand that and I respect him for having a commitment to that which he thinks is right, and strong opposition for that which he thinks is wrong.

He made a statement the other day which is shocking. It is not shocking for a Civil Rights Leader, which he is still a civil rights leader. It is the kind of comment that forces people to think. It forces people to take sides, and they have taken sides.

It is a shocking comment for a sitting Member of the US Congress to make. Calling into question the legitimacy of an election, especially a Presidential Election is serious business. Aren't our elected leaders supposed to bring us together as a nation?

To no one’s surprise, Donald Trump viciously attacked Congressman Lewis. Vice President-Elect Mike Pence had the adult response, calling Congressman Lewis’ remarks “deeply troubling.”

Both sides have strong arguments in this case. Congressman Lewis’ remarks are divisive but maybe Americans need to not get settled into a comfort zone just yet. It is a fact that a foreign government, Russia, interjected itself in our election. What is not clear and is subject to debate is that it swung the outcome of the election.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have the strongest negative impressions of any two candidates who have ever run for President in the same cycle. This factor alone indicated it would be a close election. Trump won the Electoral College, Hillary won the popular vote. Of course, there is controversy about the election.

The GOP is complaining that Congressman Lewis is dividing the country. As long as the GOP has Trump as its head, and his twitter account is functioning, then the GOP needs to stay silent on the topic of dividing the nation. Donald Trump is the most divisive public figure of my lifetime. He is more divisive than Richard Nixon, he is more divisive than G.W Bush, and he makes LBJ look like a unifier rather than the divisive figure he was.

It is not just the Russia interference that is troubling the nation. Trump’s whole approach to Russia is unsettling.

He gives Vladimir Putin, a man who is corrupt, who invaded Ukraine, who has been a butcher in Syria and propped up an enemy of Israel, our ally, more respect than he does a man who fought against racism and injustice in the USA. He treats Putin better than he treats John Lewis. It is shameful.

Trump and the GOP are ignoring foreign influence in our election; the GOP is turning a blind eye to the kissing up of Putin by Trump. The GOP being silent while Trump who has not a clue what he is doing talks about NATO and our allies being outdated is dividing the nation. In fact, it is frightening to think that the party of Ronald Reagan just might abandon everything Reagan stood for when it came to promoting freedom in the world.

John Lewis made the statements he made to try and get the GOP to wake up. It needs to wake up and stand for freedom like it once did.

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