A titan died today. John Lewis, Representative from Georgia.

A civil rights icon. As a white man, I do not have claim on anything of his legacy or accomplishments. But I admired the MAN. What he stood for.

This snippet from Wikipedia caught my attention:

“Lewis met Rosa Parks when he was 17, and met [Martin Luther] King for the first time when he was 18. After writing to King about being denied admission to Troy University in Alabama, Lewis was invited to a meeting. King, who referred to Lewis as “the boy from Troy,” discussed suing the university for discrimination, but he warned Lewis that doing so could endanger his family in Troy. After discussing it with his parents, Lewis decided to proceed with his education at a small, historically black college in Tennessee. Lewis graduated from the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee, and was ordained as a Baptist minister.” [Ed: I combined some sentences, but did not change the order or message.]

I think the italicized part (MLK’s advice) speaks volumes in just half a sentence. John was willing to listen to good advice. He was willing to fight, but not willing to endanger or imperil others who weren’t in the fight with him. That’s pretty shrewd for an 18 year old kid, frankly. Save the fight for another time, when only YOU are on the line. Or, change tacks and pursue a different strategy. Don’t fight the flames, destroy the fuel.

Here is a speech snippet that encapsulates the feeling:

It might have seemed like a series of life-threatening lost causes to outsiders, but always necessary to achieve the end. Equal rights for ALL.

RIP John. I never met you, but I will always respect you.