GOP also respects leaders
Years ago, when I worked as a legislative staffer, I attended a Senate hearing for a nominee to one of Wisconsin’s state governing boards. One rural Republican senator began quizzing the AfricanAmerican man about the state of education in Milwaukee. Then the senator asked about economic development in Milwaukee. The nominee, looking puzzled, answered both questions. Upon receiving a third question about Milwaukee, the man leaned into the microphone and said, “You know, I am actually from Madison.”
It was the type of unforced error Republicans aren’t allowed to make. Yet last weekend, after legendary civil rights activist and current Democratic U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia said he didn’t consider Donald Trump to be a legitimate president, the presidentelect walked right into the trap.
“Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested),” Trump railed on Twitter, “rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk no action or results. Sad!”
Presumably after being told that Lewis’ district was predominantly middle-class, Trump shifted his obloquy: “Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested innercities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!”
Yet in both statements, Trump presumes that a black congressman has to be from a district that is “in horrible shape” and “falling apart” and that Lewis’ focus should be on stopping the “burning” inner cities, as if Atlanta was indistinguishable from Baghdad. This is like telling a woman her proper place is in the kitchen, then after realizing she’s a molecular biologist, haranguing her for not being adequately concerned with cutlery safety.
The dismissive tone with which Trump addresses Lewis indicates that Trump had no idea who Lewis is. Every reference to Lewis should begin with the term “American Hero.” In 1965, on the march from Selma to Montgomery, Lewis and 600 other protesters were attacked by Alabama state troopers using clubs, bullwhips and tear gas. Lewis suffered a fractured skull.
Now, it’s fine to say Lewis is wrong. And in this case, he is. There’s no evidence Russian interference made any more than a faint echo in the election results, and Trump is America’s legitimately elected president. He may end up being a catastrophic president, but there is no question he won without Kremlin subterfuge.
That doesn’t mean that conservatives can’t afford American heroes proper respect.
But in this case, the Republican leader has exposed himself as racially and historically clueless. Now that he’s in office, conservatives owe him credit when he lowers taxes or rolls back oppressive regulations; but we are under no obligation to stand by and watch our party turn into one that disrespects the gains made by people who spilled their own blood to achieve equality.
John Lewis has said he’s not going to attend Trump’s inauguration. This is unfortunate, although not unprecedented — Lewis skipped George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001, believing Bush wasn’t the “true elected president.” It appears to be his go-to move to protest Republicans.
Yet if Trump continues to perpetuate the myth that Republicans can’t honor civil rights pioneers, conservatives would be better off following leaders that make us proud of our party. Then Trump can return to his old job, which, given his skin color, is presumably somewhere in Willy Wonka’s candy factory.