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>> AFTERNOON, EVERYONE TO TODAY MARTY, THE GIRLS AND I JOINED,
STORED IN AN AMERICAN
CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS.
TITAN OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT, DRAGON, AMERICAN HERO
AND ALL WHO SOUGHT A BETTER,
FAIRER, MORE UNITED SOCIETY.
CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS CHANGED
OUR COUNTRY IN AN AND
MEASURABLE WAYS.
MEASURABLE WAYS. IN HIS LEGACY OF PASSION AND
SERVICES, TRULY UNMATCHED.
AS MENTIONED, THE SON OF
SHARECROPPERS, JOHN LEWIS FELT
HIS CALLING AT A YOUNG AGE AND
DEVOTED EVERY WALKING MOMENT TO
THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, EQUALITY,
ACCESS, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. NO MATTER THEIR SINGULAR.
SKIN COLOR.
SKIN COLOR. HE BUILT QUITE A REPUTATION
ALONG THE WAY, AND THE GOOD
TROUBLE THAT LED TO REAL
CHANGE, INSPIRED A COUNTRY AND
CHANGE THIS WORLD.
NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO,
EVERYONE KNOWS THE NAME OF JOHN
LEWIS.
LEWIS.
LEWIS. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY KNOW HIS
RECORD OF STANDING UP, SPEAKING
OUT, AND SHAKING UP THE STATUS
QUO.
QUO.
QUO. AT
QUO. AT HOME, IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT,
THIS LEGENDARY FREEDOM RIDER
WAS A FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD
FACED HIM ASSERTING HIS
VIGILANCE SELFISHLY AND WITH
OPEN ARMS.
OPEN ARMS. AND OUR COUNTRIES MOST TRYING
MOMENTS, CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
TAUGHT US A LESSON OF JOYFUL,
STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO IDEALS
BIGGER THAN ONE MAN OR ONE
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT. WHEN FAITH WAS FIERCE, VIOLENT
OPPOSITION ON THE BRIDGE IN
SELMA, ALABAMA, JOHN LEWIS
STARED EVIL AND INJUSTICE IN
THE EYE.
THE EYE.
THE EYE. HE DIDN'T TURN BACK THAT SUNDAY
, BECAUSE HE WAS GROUNDED IN A
DEEP BELIEF THAT OUR WORK WAS
GIVEN BY GOD, NOT BY MAN.
HIS EXAMPLE TAUGHT US THAT WE
HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE AND
EVERYTHING TO GAIN BY WORKING
TOGETHER AND LOVING ONE ANOTHER.
AND EVEN TODAY, AS OUR COUNTRY
FACES A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS,
AND NEW CHALLENGES, ROOTED IN
INJUSTICE, I KNOW THAT THE
EXAMPLE LEFT BEHIND BY
CONGRESSMAN LEWIS, THE MAN WHO
LITERALLY CROSSED THE AISLE TO
EMBRACE RETIRING REPUBLICAN
SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON, WILL
INSPIRE ALL OF US TO DO THE
HARD, NECESSARY WORK TO
OVERCOME OUR SHARED CHALLENGES
AND EMERGE STRONGER.
THE CONGRESSMAN PUT IT BEST BY
SAYING, WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY, WE
LOVE OUR DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, SO
WE HAVE TO MOVE OUR FEET.
AS WE MOURN HIS PASSING, WE ALL
SHOULD RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO
THE PRINCIPLES HE FOUGHT FOR.
OUR COUNTRY'S CORE FOUNDATION
IN LIBERTY, FREEDOM, AND
JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AMERICA, AND THE STATE OF
GEORGIA, WILL BE FOREVER
STRONGER, FREER, AND MORE JUST,
BECAUSE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN
LEWIS.
LEWIS.
LEWIS. BUT WE MUST DO OUR PART TO
BUILD ON HIS WORK AND KEEP HIS
LEGACY ALIVE.
LEGACY ALIVE. HE URGED US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER
, TO WALK AND TO WORK TOGETHER,
DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES, AND
PUSH OUR STATE AND OUR NATION
TOWARD A BETTER TOMORROW.
HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND MORE THAN
30 YEAR CAREER IN PUBLIC
SERVICE, EMBODIES OUR HIGHEST
IDEALS.
IDEALS.
IDEALS. WE ARE EACH, AS GEORGIANS AND
AMERICANS, BETTER FOR HIS WORK.
SO NOW, IN HONOR OF HIS MEMORY,
WE HAVE TO MOVE OUR FEET. MAY
HIS WORDS, ACTIONS, AND LEGACY
CONTINUE TO SERVE AS OUR
COUNTRIES CONSCIOUS. THE
PRAYERS OF MY FAMILY AND ALL
GEORGIANS ARE WITH CONGRESSMAN
LEWIS HIS FAMILY, HIS LOVED
ONES, HIS STAFF, WHO WORKED SO
HARD ON HIS BEHALF, AND ALL OF
US THAT HE INSPIRED.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS
THIS GREAT STATE AND NATION.