To the Editor:
Re “Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation,” by John Lewis (Op-Ed, July 30):
Working in Montgomery, Ala., I have walked on the trails that many of our civil rights heroes forged and I have listened to the stories of unspeakable violence but also unimaginable courage. But I have never felt compelled to act — not until May 25. George Floyd was my Emmitt Till. In those 8 minutes and 46 seconds, I heard the cries of my ancestors that came before me and the cries of my descendants to come. It was as if I could reach into the past and stretch into the future to gain the strength I needed to say enough is enough.
I encourage all people, regardless of race, to say enough is enough. We as a people must, as John Lewis put it, get into good trouble, necessary trouble. Mr. Lewis has given us his last(ing) words of wisdom, and to me, these words have meaning, these words hold power.
We must not, as Mr. Lewis said, let fear constrain us like an imaginary prison. Our nation, and indeed our world, deserves better. Now is the time to embrace his words and to use them as a catalyst for change. We can repair the soul of our nation, but we can do so only as a unified force — as one nation.
Cassandra Cavness
Prattville, Ala.
To the Editor:
Thank you so much for publishing this powerful call from John Lewis from beyond the grave, exhorting us to continue the struggle for peace and justice for all! How can we ignore such an eloquent case made by one who devoted his life and blood to this cause and lived this commitment every day of his life?
We all need to commit ourselves to emulate his example to continue the struggle and not get weary, and we need to share this clarion call far and wide until his and our goals for truth, justice and the American way for all, regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation, are not just a dream, but a reality.
Mary Maxwell Thomas
Gurnee, Ill.
To the Editor:
When John Lewis died, I was sad but grateful for his service to my country and his quest to make real the principles it was built upon. When John Lewis’s body lay in state, I smiled and rejoiced at the sight of so many Black faces in historically white halls of power. When I read his piece in The Times, my face streamed with tears.
John Lewis called on young people to “answer the highest calling of your heart.” I wish I knew how that appeal could reach those who need his message of healing and inspiration the most — many of whom remain maskless and clueless. When that message is widely broadcast, and we can return to a time of more polite discourse and tolerance, we may see a day when “peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war.”
May we all “walk with the wind,” young and old, and finally bring the American experiment to life — in living color.
Harry Zimmerman
Albuquerque