Watch: Dem congressman tells college graduates to ‘get in trouble,’ ‘make some noise’

Justin Haskins  May 13, 2017 6:16 pm

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) told students during a commencement address on Saturday that they should “get in the way” and “get in trouble” because the “country needs you now more than ever before.” (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) 

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) told students during a commencement address on Saturday that they should “get in the way” and “get in trouble” because the “country needs you now more than ever before.”

Lewis delivered the address to the graduating students at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In the speech, Lewis described many of the challenges he faced during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and compared the difficulties of that era to today.

Lewis said in the 1960s under President John Kennedy, “there was a greater sense of hope and a greater sense of optimism.”

“We must rebuild that sense of hope, that sense of optimism and never let anything get you down,” Lewis said.

Lewis also discussed the importance of civil disobedience, bragged about having been arrested five times since first being elected to Congress and called for “comprehensive immigration reform.”

“And since I’ve been in Congress, arrested another five times,” Lewis said. “My last arrest, almost two years ago, and two other private citizens and eight Democratic members of Congress had a protest on the Capitol grounds, trying to get the speaker of the House to bring forth a comprehensive immigration reform bill. … It doesn’t make sense for millions and millions of people, including little children, to be living in fear in the United States of America. Set people on the path to citizenship!”

Toward the end of his speech, he lamented the “mean spirit in America” and called on students to “get in the way, get in trouble” to combat those things that are “not fair.”

“Go out there, get in the way, get in trouble—good trouble, necessary trouble and make some noise,” Lewis said.

“Our country needs you now more than ever before,” Lewis said. “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation, a mandate to stand up, speak up and speak out.”

Lewis has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump’s administration and a reliably liberal member of Congress throughout his political career.

In reaction to the Republicans’ push to pass the American Health Care Act, Lewis wrote on Twitter on May 4, “Those who are sick will suffer, and some of them will die. This is a shame and a disgrace. May God have mercy on us all.”

On Saturday, Lewis called for an “independent prosecutor” to be named to investigate any potential connections between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives during the 2016 election and said the firing of former FBI Director James Comey reminds him of “another dark period.”

“The firing of FBI Director James Comey reminds me of another dark period in America’s history,” said Lewis.

“An independent prosecutor must be appointed to investigate collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election,” Lewis continued.

(H/T: Washington Examiner)