(Believe it or not we are a grassroots blog, I know you thought we were official!)
The Clinton Campaign today announced the endorsement of civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis.
"I have looked at all the candidates, and I believe that Hillary Clinton is the best prepared to lead this country at a time when we are in desperate need of strong leadership," Rep. Lewis said. "She will restore a greater sense of community in America, and reclaim our standing in the world."
"I am proud and deeply honored to have the support of John Lewis, a great American hero," Clinton said. "John helped transform this nation, and his vital role in establishing civil rights for all Americans will never be forgotten."
Rep. Lewis is a civil rights pioneer who has devoted his life to equal rights for all Americans. From his days as a Freedom Rider and the head of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, to his leadership of the "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama, Lewis has been one of the most respected figures in the civil rights movement for four decades.
Rep. Lewis later served as Director of the Voter Education Project, helping register millions of new minorities to vote, and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to direct more than 250,000 volunteers of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency.
Elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981, Rep. Lewis was later elected to Congress in 1986, where he's represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District for the last 20 years. He is Senior Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Party leadership in the House, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, a member of its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Oversight.
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This is very significant folks, because if it wasn't already evident before, Hillary Clinton is going to be the "Civil Rights President!"
Congressman John Lewis was an important figure and leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. He played a pivotal role in ending segregation. He has represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives since 1987. For me, being a native Georgian, I take great joy in discussing his endorsement of Senator Clinton for President. He has always been a key figure in politics and civil rights in Georgia, as well as nationally.
He's lived a pretty historical life. He was only the 2nd African American to represent Georgia in the House since Reconstruction. He's a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and has been senior chief deputy whip in the Democratic Caucus since 1991.
I hope all Clinton supporters will call or email Congressman John Lewis, and show our appreciation for his endorsement of Sen. Clinton in this campaign. If Mr. Lewis trusts Hillary to be the best candidate to lead the way for Civil Rights in this great country, well so do I!
-Chris McLeod-
1 comment:
http://originalpechanga.blogspot.com
Many CA Indians Civil Rights have been violated. Senator Clinton should look into this.
Concerning Disgraceful Actions by the Pechanga Tribal Council
In a notice dated August 7, 2006, the descendants of Paulina Hunter, an original allottee of the Pechanga Indian Reservation, were informed that the Pechanga Tribal Council and the Pechanga Enrollment Committee had denied their appeal to over-turn the Enrollment Committee’s earlier decision to disenroll the family.
The Hunter Family members were disenrolled in March of this year when the Enrollment Committee concluded that their ancestor, Paulina Hunter, was not a Temecula Indian.
Along with disenrollment notices from the Enrollment Committee, a memo from the Tribal Council explained that it had decided that a law passed by the Tribe’s governing body in July 2005 to bar future disenrollments applied to all tribal members except the Hunter Family.
The disenrollment of the Hunter family was initiated when several statements were presented to the Enrollment Committee claiming Paulina Hunter was non-Indian or not a member. One such letter came from a convicted felon currently serving time in the California State Prison system for child molestation.
In response to the allegations, the descendants of Paulina Hunter provided numerous documents as proof that Paulina Hunter was indeed of Indian ancestry and was an original Pechanga/Temecula Indian.
In fact, a report prepared by Dr. John Johnson, the curator of anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, at the request of the Enrollment Committee concluded that a "preponderance of the evidence" from surviving historical records and census documents shows that Paulina Hunter was a Pechanga member who lived in Temecula and was allotted reservation land. There is no greater authority on this issue than Dr. Johnson.
"My feeling is it's a faulty interpretation of the record to reject this family. Paulina Hunter was definitely a core member of the Temecula Band of Luiseño Indians," Dr. Johnson said. "I don't understand the decision other than it is not based on fact. It is based on conjecture and politics."
The disenrollment of the Hunter family is the second such disenrollment of a large family from the Pechanga Band. Each has occurred just months before scheduled tribal elections for Chairman and Tribal Council.
The expulsions of the 2 families removed significant opposition to the current administration and others running for tribal office. Each “disenrollment” was done in violation of both tribal and federal laws which are intended to protect the rights and privileges of tribal members.
Specifically, the members were denied the due process and equal rights protections provided in the Indian Civil Rights Act, as well as language in the Band’s Constitution and Bylaws which mandates that tribal officials uphold the individual rights of each member without malice or prejudice. The disenrollments reduced the Pechanga Band's enrollment by nearly 30%, and each enrolled member, including those responsible for the violations of human and civil rights, could reap additional profits in the tens of millions of dollars.
For more information, please visit www.pechanga.info
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