"Hurt, angry Americans must stand with Sen. Cory Booker. Now." Birmingham Real-Time News

[Amaryllis]

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2025/04/hurt-angry-americans-must-stand-with-sen-cory-booker-now.html

Much more at link and well worth reading.

By Roy S. Johnson | [e-mail]

This is an opinion column.

Sen. Cory Booker had been standing for almost 20 hours before I knew he was standing at all. Standing at the podium in the U.S. Senate chambers. Standing and pontificating, as Senators and members of Congress often do.

As they usually do before a near-empty chamber, articulating and gesturing really for C-SPAN political nerds and the Congressional Record.

It wasn’t too long before I realized, though, that the 55-year-old Democrat from New Jersey wasn’t standing and speaking to an echo chamber for an audience of none. He was standing and speaking to us all.

Standing and speaking for us all.

Even for those who will no doubt throw verbal rocks at him. Even for those who disagree with everything he eloquently and passionately said — with every fact he cited — or covered their ears, refusing to hear.

Even for those who are breathing fire that threatens to torch our Constitution and transform our democracy into a heap of smoldering embers. Fire that will leave the foundation upon which this nation was built as a pile of ash.

[Wild blueberry]

1. Excellent!

Whole article well worth reading. Did not know some of his backstory.
I know he spoke for us, and we will stand with him!
Just amazing. Courage is contagious.
Thank you.

[UpInArms]

2. Every word of that article should be read

and Cory Booker’s words should beheld in our hearts and feet … with action

Editing to add:

Where I started was John Lewis. I don’t know how to solve this. I don’t know how to stop us from going down this road. … But I know who does have the power: the people of the United States of America. The power of the people is greater than the people in power.

It is time to heed the words of the man I began this whole thing with, John Lewis. I beg folks to take his example of his early days when he made himself determined to show his love for his country at a time the country didn’t love him… to be such a patriot that he endured beatings savagely on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, at lunch counters, on freedom rides. He said he had to do something.

He would not normalize a moment like this. He would not just go along with business as usual. He wouldn’t know how to solve it. But there’s one thing that he would do that I hope we all can do: He said for us to go out and cause some good trouble, necessary trouble to redeem the soul of our nation. I want you to redeem the dream. Let’s be bold in America … not divide us against each other.

Let’s be bolder in America with a vision that inspires with hope … Let’s get back to the ideals that others are being threatened. …Those imperfect geniuses added some very special words at the end of the Declaration of Independence, one of the greatest in all humanity declarations of interdependence. Our founders said we must mutually pledge, pledge to each other, our Lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

We need that now. For all Americans, this is a moral moment. It’s not left or right, it’s right or wrong. Let’s get in good trouble. My friend, Madame President, I yield the floor.”

[malaise]

3. K & R

Most excellent
Rec