Jeff Sessions, who you may know as Trump’s pick for attorney general, has served as an Alabama senator for two decades—despite being a known racist and climate change denier. While this may be news to many of us just learning about him, Coretta Scott King recognized Sessions as a danger to basic human rights long before Trump brought him into the spotlight. In 1986, King wrote a letter urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to block the nomination of Sessions as a federal judge. She explained that putting Sessions on the federal bench would “irreparably damage the work” of her husband, Martin Luther King Jr. Her compelling plea hadn’t been available for public viewing until theThe Washington Post published the letter in its entirety this past Tuesday. King’s argument against Sessions’ appointment in 1986 echoes some of the same concerns civil rights organizations have today as the senator makes his way toward Trump’s cabinet. “The irony of Mr. Sessions’ nomination is that, if confirmed, he will be given a life tenure for doing with a federal prosecution what the local sheriffs accomplished twenty years ago with clubs and cattle prods,” King wrote. She went on to write in her nine-page account, “Anyone who has used the power of his office as United States Attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens should not be elevated to our courts. Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters. For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship.” King ultimately achieved her goal when the Senate Judiciary Committee denied Sessions’ judicial nomination, a decision that has only happened twice in 50 years, according to CNN. Now, as we look to the future, several organizations have stepped in to block Sessions’ attorney general appointment. MoveOn.org currently has nearly 250,000 signatures on a petition to reject his nomination. Daily Kos has facilitated the delivery of more than 30,000 letters to U.S. senators, with the goal of blocking Sessions’ appointment as well. According to the Huffington Post, more than 1,300 law professorsoppose Sessions becoming attorney general—as does the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center, andAmericans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group. Hopefully we can channel Coretta Scott King’s eloquence and fortitude in a battle to once again defend human rights and prevent irreparable damage to the progress we’ve made so far. You can read King’s entire letter by heading over to the Washington Postor checking out the PDF version here. https://www.good.is/articles/coretta-scott-king-sessions
The letter has available to the public since 1986, as is all testimony to Congress which is not classified. It was heavily publicized at the time. The gullibility and intellectual laziness of Dems has reached preposterous levels.
Yes. Seriously. Just ONE day a week, he needs to shut the fuck up on Twitter. Or, at the very least, say a blessing or positive comment to the people. ....no, actually, he just needs to shut up. Especially on a day like today.
Damn, a former black panther is DESTROYING Rep. John Lewis on the Tucker Carlson show right now. Says "he doesn't know how any black person could vote Democrat." Says "John Lewis turned himself over to the enemy." Interesting take from a former BP.
http://thehill.com/homenews/adminis...hether-trumps-criticism-of-lewis-offended-him MLK III: 'Very constructive' Trump meeting Martin Luther King III said Monday -- the federal holiday honoring his father -- said he had a “very constructive” meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York. But he declined to say whether he was offended by Trump’s weekend criticism of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). “Well, first of all I think that in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides. And I think that at some point -- I am, as John Lewis and many others, a bridge builder,” King told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower. ... Asked if the president-elect had allayed his concerns, King noted that Trump has "said that that he is going to represent Americans. "He’s said that over and over again. We will continue to evaluate that. The nation supports. I believe that’s his intent. I believe we have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure. It doesn’t happen automatically, my father and his team understood that, did that." (You won't see this on SNL, so it didn't happen, right? )