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John Lewis.. you gave your all. 
I'm glad Lewis lived long enough to see Obama take office.
The loss of a GREAT man! 
We are at a time when a great many patriots are getting old enough for it to be their time to pass on. At the moment, I'm having a difficult time remembering who our next generation of patriots are and why they should be remembered.
(now a universal gesture 4 years after he first did it)
Bree Newsome
(it took 5 years after her act of protest but here we are with that disgraceful flag being removed from around the nation)
You have some who can get more "attention" because of their oratorial skills when they take the mic, whereas you have others whose simple silent gestures, speak volumes, and can accomplish the same thing -
John Carlos & Tommie Smith (1968)
It's all in the sacrifice for a cause. Carlos and Smith had their medals stripped from them 52 years ago after they did that during the National Anthem and unless you were around back then following the Olympics and/or were a track and field officiando, you would have never heard of either of them. And earlier this year, after the IOC doubled down on no "political statements/gestures, etc.", they suddenly backtracked and are now "open to discussion"about participants doing such.
Talker/activist Joe Madison often repeats the statement "The difference between a moment and a movement, is sacrifice".
I think the important thing is the "we" and not the "I" when bringing about change. Too much focus on some "leader" and you lose track of all the hard work going on in the background to bring about change. I consider anyone and everyone who is able to do "something", no matter how minor or major, a "hero'.
America is a constant work in progress. What gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further — to speak out for what’s right, to challenge an unjust status quo, and to imagine a better world.
John Lewis — one of the original Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the youngest speaker at the March on Washington, leader of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Member of Congress representing the people of Georgia for 33 years — not only assumed that responsibility, he made it his life’s work. He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise. And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example.
Considering his enormous impact on the history of this country, what always struck those who met John was his gentleness and humility. Born into modest means in the heart of the Jim Crow South, he understood that he was just one of a long line of heroes in the struggle for racial justice. Early on, he embraced the principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as the means to bring about real change in this country, understanding that such tactics had the power not only to change laws, but to change hearts and minds as well.
In so many ways, John’s life was exceptional. But he never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country might do. He believed that in all of us, there exists the capacity for great courage, a longing to do what’s right, a willingness to love all people, and to extend to them their God-given rights to dignity and respect. And it’s because he saw the best in all of us that he will continue, even in his passing, to serve as a beacon in that long journey towards a more perfect union.
I first met John when I was in law school, and I told him then that he was one of my heroes. Years later, when I was elected a U.S. Senator, I told him that I stood on his shoulders. When I was elected President of the United States, I hugged him on the inauguration stand before I was sworn in and told him I was only there because of the sacrifices he made. And through all those years, he never stopped providing wisdom and encouragement to me and Michelle and our family. We will miss him dearly.
It’s fitting that the last time John and I shared a public forum was at a virtual town hall with a gathering of young activists who were helping to lead this summer’s demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Afterwards, I spoke to him privately, and he could not have been prouder of their efforts — of a new generation standing up for freedom and equality, a new generation intent on voting and protecting the right to vote, a new generation running for political office. I told him that all those young people — of every race, from every background and gender and sexual orientation — they were his children. They had learned from his example, even if they didn’t know it. They had understood through him what American citizenship requires, even if they had heard of his courage only through history books.
Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did. And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders — to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise.
https://medium.com/BarackObama/my-statement-on-the-passing-of-rep-john-lewis-fa86761cd964
-Laelth
Sir, you will be missed. Thank you for all you gave us.
picture of two great men. Will we see that again?? 
