The Year of Moving Forward

The Year of Moving Forward
At our 4 person wedding reception in DC

Monday, September 21, 2009

Equality Weekend Gala with John Lewis

What an evening the Equality Weekend Gala Dinner turned out to be. I was able to spend a minute or so with Congressman John Lewis and thanked him for all he has done for our country, and for our community.



There were several hundred people at the event, which featured a silent auction, awards presentation, performances by the Magic City Choral Society, a scrumptious meal and dessert and of course, the address by Congressman Lewis.

Seated at our table were Birmingham School Board candidate Elisa Burns-Macon and her partner Donna, congressional candidate Terry Sewell and two of her campaign staff members, Alabama Stonewall Democrats president John Smallwood and Congressman Lewis's driver. Pretty good company, huh?

Decor was provided by Confero Productions. Thank you Christopher.


You can view the video of Congressman Lewis's speech here. The speech is about 18 minutes long. Thanks Pam for sharing this.

He began the speech by reflecting on raising chickens as a child, and how he used to practice preaching to the chickens. Some would bow their heads, he said, some would shake their heads, but they never quite said "Amen."

"But I am convinced that some of those chickens that I preached to in the 40's and the 50's tended to listen to me much better than some of my colleagues listen to me today in Congress. As a matter of fact, some of those chickens were a little more productive."

He want on to recount some of his experiences as a Freedom Rider and his thoughts as he sat and watched Barack Obama's inauguration. John Lewis was the first person Obama greeted as he came out of the Capitol that day, and he asked for Lewis's prayers. Lewis assured him.

He urged the LGBT community, just as Martin Luther King urged the black community in 1963, that "You cannot wait, you cannot be patient. You want your freedom and you want it now."

"Discrimination is discrimination. No government, be it federal or state, should tell a person who they can marry or who they cannot marry. People have a right to fall in love and get married."

"I do not understand. Two men, two women, fall in love and get married. Whose marriage is being threatened?"

He compared the fight for same sex marriage to the fight for interracial marriage.

Some day we will look back and laugh at ourselves, he said. "The stars didn't fall over Alabama because people fell in love and got married."

Thanks, Equality Alabama, for hosting this event. Like the congressman said, we will change the south, we will change America, and the country will be a better country.

6 comments:

Joe said...

Dan, Anonymous and Randy,

I am not going to post your homophobic and uneducated comments. But I did share them with some friends who reminded us, Randy, of the Treaty of Tripoli signed in 1787.

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no... Read More pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

Article 11 of the U.S. Treaty with Tripoli. It was sent to the floor of the Senate, June 7, 1797, where it was unanimously approved. Signed by president John Adams.

beverly j. said...

Joe, why is it that when someone has a view that is different from yours you choose not to post their opinions. That is so wrong. I find this site rather interesting, except for when you choose to only post those comments that don't challenge you. You did it one day last week.

Someone else mentioned that it is a lot like what a certain cable news network often does, and I have to agree. If you are going to start these controversial topics, then the least you can do is be man enough to post opposing views.

Joe said...

Beverly,
I appreciate the president's position on lies. I am not going to waste my time. If someone posts an opinions different, I will usually print it, although I don't spend time dealing with the same things over and over.

In the end, this is a progressive blog. Just as conservative news networks have the right to limit debate and opinions so that the balance is not fair, I have the right to limit debate on here to progressive views.

Anonymous said...

COMMUNISM!!!

lipscomb bohemian said...

???...communism????...where?

Deb Murphree/Alabama Politics said...

Joe, hold your head high. All of us bloggers get the crazy comments. I have even allowed some crazy comments to be posted. However, I am like you...when they overstep their boundaries, and start the "name calling" and lie spreading, then I call their bluff. There is no reason to do that. (name calling and slandering someone). We all have differing opinions, and should be able to speak about our views, but not harass others. Keep up the good job. (Oh, by the way, I was called a "markist", "communist", etc...last week, by an individual in the Mobile al.com forum, and this person was indeed full of hatred for all democrats. I have never seen such anger spew out of someone's mouth. It was as he would actually shoot you down, if you were in his presence. Here it is, for you to view...I was frankly shocked at the anger posted on a public forum.

23481.2.1.1. I'm just one out of tens of million patriots
by nyclad, 9/25/09 22:58 ET
Re: It's all about Freedom from Government by nyclad, 9/25/09
Yes it will play out. To all my Democrat child hood friends and relatives Beware !!!!!! Do not ever cross my kill zone !!!! Do not come asking me for a cup of rice or beans to make a meal !!!! Do not ask me for a spare gun and ammo !!!!! Do not show your silhouette in my kill zone. I NEVER KNEW YOU !!!!You payed UNION DUES FOR THIS COMMUNIST GOVERNEMNET !! YOU VOTWED FOR IT !!! DON"T TREAD ON ME !!!!I NEVER KNEW YOU !!!


23481.2.1.1.1. amen brother!!
by woodsawer, 9/25/09 23:05 ET