In the spirit of Andy Goodman and the civil rights movement, John Lewis is leading a commendable sit-in for gun control – acknowledging Orlando and Sandy Hook – on the floor of the Billionaire’s “House.” Lewis announces a long sit-in. He isn’t going home…
On this issue and many others, it is time for the American people to fight back. Mass nonviolent civil disobedience in Washington and all over the country might force politicians to abandon vast unjust wars abroad, militarism (very hard…), and to acknowledge the fight for $15. This is a new time, and what John Lewis and others are doing right now, is promising.
***
NBC
Spirit of History’: House Democrats Hold Sit-in
on
Gun Control
by LUKE RUSSERT, ALEX MOE, HALIMAH ABDULLAH and CORKY SIEMASZKO
Georgia congressman John Lewis deployed a strategy
from his days as a civil rights activist and the viral
nature of social media to stage a dramatic
sit-in Wednesday on the House floor with his
fellow Democrats to force a
vote on gun control.
from his days as a civil rights activist and the viral
nature of social media to stage a dramatic
sit-in Wednesday on the House floor with his
fellow Democrats to force a
vote on gun control.
“Sometimes you have to do something out of
the ordinary, sometimes you
have to make a way out of no way,”
said Lewis, one o the last living icons
of civil disobedience during the civil rights
movement. “There comesa time when you
have to say something, when you have to make a l
ittle noise, when you have to move your feet.
This is the time. Now isthe time to get in
the way. The time to act is now. We will
be silent no more.”
the ordinary, sometimes you
have to make a way out of no way,”
said Lewis, one o the last living icons
of civil disobedience during the civil rights
movement. “There comesa time when you
have to say something, when you have to make a l
ittle noise, when you have to move your feet.
This is the time. Now isthe time to get in
the way. The time to act is now. We will
be silent no more.”
He and roughly 40 fellow House Democrats
vowed “to occupy the
floor of the House until there is action.”
vowed “to occupy the
floor of the House until there is action.”
They stood only briefly to recite the Pledge
of Allegiance as a couple
dozen visitors in the gallery
looked on.
of Allegiance as a couple
dozen visitors in the gallery
looked on.
When Lewis finished urging his colleagues
to “occupy” the floor, the
other Democrats began chanting:
“I’m sick and tired of being sick
and tired!” and “No bill, no break!”
to “occupy” the floor, the
other Democrats began chanting:
“I’m sick and tired of being sick
and tired!” and “No bill, no break!”
- Google Plus
- Embed
Democrats Stage Sit-In on House Floor
for Gun Legislation 2:01
for Gun Legislation 2:01
Lewis later told NBC News that
“sometimes you are moved by history.”
“sometimes you are moved by history.”
It is unusual for members to disrupt the
functioning of the House
to this degree.
functioning of the House
to this degree.
If members do not leave the floor and
no compromise is reached,
t is largely up to Speaker Paul Ryan to
decide whether to use the
authority of the House to seek to clear
the floor and/or sanction
members, or to keep the House in
recess and wait out the issue.
no compromise is reached,
t is largely up to Speaker Paul Ryan to
decide whether to use the
authority of the House to seek to clear
the floor and/or sanction
members, or to keep the House in
recess and wait out the issue.
The protest is not being televised
because the House has not
formally gaveled into session.
because the House has not
formally gaveled into session.
So Rep. Scott Peters, D-California, has been
using the video
streaming app, Periscope, to share
footage of the sit-in.
C-Span has been broadcasting
Peters’ video feed.
using the video
streaming app, Periscope, to share
footage of the sit-in.
C-Span has been broadcasting
Peters’ video feed.
House members took to social media
to lodge their protests
using the hashtags #NoBillNoBreak,
#NOMORESILENCE
and #goodtrouble.
to lodge their protests
using the hashtags #NoBillNoBreak,
#NOMORESILENCE
and #goodtrouble.
I’m on the House floor with @repjohnlewis & Dems staging a sit-in to demand action on commonsense gun legislation
Outside, House Minority Leader Nancy
Pelosi made sure the rest of the country
knew about what was going on inside
the chamber with a hastily-arranged
press conference on the Capitol steps .
“Once again we are fighting an uphill
fight to bring legislation
to the floor,” Pelosi said. “We truly
believe that if there was a
vote, we would win the vote.”
fight to bring legislation
to the floor,” Pelosi said. “We truly
believe that if there was a
vote, we would win the vote.”
The merging of old school protest
movement tactics such as
sit-ins and speeches and new
school social media protests
helped ensure that the House
Democrats’ revolution on gun
policy reform was indeed televised.
movement tactics such as
sit-ins and speeches and new
school social media protests
helped ensure that the House
Democrats’ revolution on gun
policy reform was indeed televised.
The move led by Lewis, who was jailed
and repeatedly beaten
back in the 1960s when he helped
lead the battle for equal rights
for African-Americans, took the
Republican leadership by surprise.
and repeatedly beaten
back in the 1960s when he helped
lead the battle for equal rights
for African-Americans, took the
Republican leadership by surprise.
And it came after Lewis wrote House
Speaker Paul Ryan a letter
demanding that he keep the House in
session instead of going into
recess so there could more debate on
gun control legislation in the
wake of the Orlando massacre.
Speaker Paul Ryan a letter
demanding that he keep the House in
session instead of going into
recess so there could more debate on
gun control legislation in the
wake of the Orlando massacre.
“As the worst mass shooting in our
nation’s history has underscored,
our country cannot afford to stand by
while this Congress continues
to be paralyzed by politics,” Lewis wrote.
nation’s history has underscored,
our country cannot afford to stand by
while this Congress continues
to be paralyzed by politics,” Lewis wrote.
The House sit-in came on the heels of
a dramatic showdown over
gun policy Monday in the Senate.
a dramatic showdown over
gun policy Monday in the Senate.
Four gun policy measures failed to pass
the 60-vote threshold to
move forward in the Senate. The votes
came in the wake of the
deadly shooting spree in a gay nightclub
in Orlando — the nation’s
worst mass shooting in modern history
— and a subsequent
15-hour filibuster by Senate Democrats
who demanded action on
gun control.
the 60-vote threshold to
move forward in the Senate. The votes
came in the wake of the
deadly shooting spree in a gay nightclub
in Orlando — the nation’s
worst mass shooting in modern history
— and a subsequent
15-hour filibuster by Senate Democrats
who demanded action on
gun control.
The four amendments — two filed by
Democratic Sens. Dianne
Feinstein of California, and Chris
Murphy of Connecticut, and two
other, less restrictive measures filed
by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa,
and John Cornyn, R-Texas — addressed
background checks of
prospective gun buyers and the sale
of guns and explosives to
people on terrorist watch lists.
Democratic Sens. Dianne
Feinstein of California, and Chris
Murphy of Connecticut, and two
other, less restrictive measures filed
by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa,
and John Cornyn, R-Texas — addressed
background checks of
prospective gun buyers and the sale
of guns and explosives to
people on terrorist watch lists.
- Google Plus
- Embed
Sen. Murphy on House Dems sit-in 2:21
Murphy, who led last week’s 15-hour
filibuster by Senate Democrats who demanded
action on gun control, applauded the House’s moves.
filibuster by Senate Democrats who demanded
action on gun control, applauded the House’s moves.
So did former President Bill Clinton and
President Barack Obama who in a Tweet
thanked Lewis for “leading on gun violence
where we need it most.” Vice President
Joe Biden called Lewis ” the keeper of the
nation’s conscience at times of challenge
and controversy.”
President Barack Obama who in a Tweet
thanked Lewis for “leading on gun violence
where we need it most.” Vice President
Joe Biden called Lewis ” the keeper of the
nation’s conscience at times of challenge
and controversy.”
As the day wore on, the gallery seats
began to fill as curious
onlookers watched the impassioned
speeches. Care packages
with snacks and letters from supporters began pouring
in for the lawmakers.
began to fill as curious
onlookers watched the impassioned
speeches. Care packages
with snacks and letters from supporters began pouring
in for the lawmakers.
Democratic Senators such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren,
D-Massachusetts, and Sen. Mark Warner. D-Virginia, joined their
House colleagues as did former members of Congress. The lawmakers,
some of them wiping away tears, shared stories of constituents
killed as a result of gun violence.
D-Massachusetts, and Sen. Mark Warner. D-Virginia, joined their
House colleagues as did former members of Congress. The lawmakers,
some of them wiping away tears, shared stories of constituents
killed as a result of gun violence.
Obama Tweets Support For Democratic Sit-In and John Lewis Loves It
by Lindsey Ellefson | 2:55 pm, June 22nd, 2016
In spite of Republicans shutting off the CSPAN access to it, there
has been a sit-in happening in the House all day as Democrats
demand a vote on a measure that would stop people on the
no-fly list from buying guns.
has been a sit-in happening in the House all day as Democrats
demand a vote on a measure that would stop people on the
no-fly list from buying guns.
The effort is being led by Rep. John Lewis, a major player
from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s who knows a
thing or two about sit-ins. President Barack Obama sent
him an encouraging tweet today in a show of support.
from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s who knows a
thing or two about sit-ins. President Barack Obama sent
him an encouraging tweet today in a show of support.
Thank you John Lewis for leading on gun violence where
we need it most. twitter.com/repjohnlewis/s…
we need it most. twitter.com/repjohnlewis/s…
He later went on CNN, where he said he appreciated the president’s good will.
See here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/obama-tweets-support-for-democratic-sit-in-and-john-lewis-loves-it/
Watch above to see Lewis tell Wolf Blitzer how long he and the rest of the Democrats plan to continue the sit-in.