2004 UAW National CAP Legislative
Conference Day Four
By Region 8 Webmaster and Local 2195 Editor John Davis
National CAP Chair Dick Long called the final meeting to order, with
a short agenda before the conference ended. The final day began with
a speech by John Washington, Region 8 Servicing Representative. Brother
Washington serves as the mayor of his hometown. He spoke of the importance
of UAW members stepping out and running for office. The best way to
insure that our agenda is heard is for one our members to carry it into
halls of government. As more and more members of labor hold public office,
the louder the union message gets communicated,” Washington stated.
The final speaker of the conference was the honorable John Lewis of
the House of Representatives. Congressman Lewis represents Georgia’s
5th District in the House. He was introduced by Region Assistant Director
Donny Bevis. “My friend John Lewis is considered one of the most
courageous people the Civil Rights movement ever produced,” Assistant
Director Bevis stated. “He was born the son of a sharecropper
in 1940 just outside Troy, Alabama. He grew up on his family's farm
and attended segregated public schools in Pike County, Alabama. He holds
a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion and Philosophy from Fisk University;
and he is a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary in
Nashville, Tennessee.
At an early age, John Lewis developed an unwavering commitment to the
Civil Rights Movement. For more than forty years, he has been in the
vanguard of progressive social movements and the human rights struggles
in the United States. As a student, John Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations
at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee.
John Lewis's first electoral success came in 1981 when he was elected
to the Atlanta City Council. While serving on the Atlanta City Council,
Lewis was an advocate for ethics in government and neighborhood preservation.
He resigned from the Council in 1986 to run for Congress.
Since
joining the U.S. Congress, John Lewis has drawn much praise from political
observers who have predicted a bright future for him in national politics.
In 1990, the National Journal named John Lewis as one of eleven "rising
stars in Congress." The Journal stated, "Few House Members
have had such momentous experiences before coming to Washington that
other Members of Congress want to hear about them. John R. Lewis, D-GA.,
has that cachet and he has made it a plus in his House service."
In 1998, Congressional Quarterly named John Lewis a Liberal Stalwart
in its edition "50 ways to do the job of Congress."
Brothers welcome a friend of labor’s, Representative John Lewis.”
“I want to thank Brother Bevis for that fine introduction and
my UAW friends from Georgia who met me at the door,” Representative
Lewis stated. “It was friends such as the UAW that allowed me
to make it to the dance, and I assure you that I will keep you as a
dance partner. Together we have been able to accomplish many things
during our time here. However, we face many obstacles still. The 2000
elections will forever be marred by the memory of what happened in Florida.
We need to make certain that all votes are counted and that every voice
is heard. These voting irregularities were not limited to Florida, for
I experienced them myself in Atlanta. Regardless of the intent of the
voting issues, they had an effect on our right to vote. There can be
no legitimacy in an election absent the principle of one person, one
vote in an election that close, every vote must count and every vote
must be counted.”
The conference wrapped up with a final urging to the delegates to take
this information back to their members and their communities. The truth
must be told about what is happening in this country. How long can America
stand if all of the people are not being represented? President Franklin
Roosevelt stood watch over this country through some of its darkest
days. His forward thinking and vision helped shape a mighty nation.
However, his ideals were not new. One famous Roosevelt quote does, “The
test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of
those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have
little.” This is accomplished by government truly being a force
of the people and by the people. The only way for this idea to ring
true is if all people are counted. Yes, the UAW is fighting for America’s
working families. It is a fight that we cannot afford to lose. Our very
way of life depends on. The first step in winning the war of the working
family begins with taking back the White House.