Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) is a man who is not defined only by the job he currently holds. A pillar of the Civil Rights movement and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lewis was vital in crusade that helped change American history.
And yet he has been vilified by President-elect Donald Trump for challenging his presidential legitimacy. How awful and how unpatriotic, he whined.
Not so fast, says celebrated economist Paul Krugman.
In an editorial for the New York Times, Krugman defended Lewis’ actions as not only appropriate, but heroic and patriotic. He started by noting the suspicious circumstances around the election: The Russian hacking scandal, the FBI’s decision to re-open the Clinton email case just days before the November 8, 2016 election.
And Krugman’s defense of Lewis has a lot to do with Trump’s actions as well:
“It would be one thing if the incoming commander in chief showed any hint of humility, of realizing that his duty to the nation requires showing some respect for the strong majority of Americans who voted against him despite Russian meddling and the F.B.I.’s disinformation dump. But he hasn’t and won’t.”
It is one thing to respect the office, Krugman writes, but to refuse and reject any type of criticism just because you hold that office is a dangerous precedent. And by going against the grain, by being the unpopular voice, John Lewis is showing America what real patriotism is.
This is especially relevant during the week we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. In his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” King wrote about moderates refusing to take a stand against injustice:
“The …. Moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action…'”
John Lewis will not stand by. When he thinks waves should be made, he makes them. And Krugman finds this to be the most patriotic act of all:
“…Patriotism means standing up for your country’s values, not pledging personal allegiance to Dear Leader.”
You earn respect, Mr. Trump. John Lewis has. Have you?
Watch Joe Scarborough slam Trump for disrespecting Rep. Lewis:
Featured Image By Commonwealth Club Via Flickr/CC-By-2.0.
