A Shameful Display Against an American Hero

I usually take the weekends off but had to write about this now. I should also state right away that John Lewis is a hero of mine. There is simply no other leader I respect more. So it is particularly disheartening to see this icon of the Civil Rights Movement treated this way by members of the Tea Party Movement. Here's the story from CNN. The next story I would like to read is a statement from those politicians who addressed this crowd before theses slurs took place condemning this language.
 

Washington (CNN) - Civil rights icon and veteran Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, said anti-health care bill protesters Saturday repeatedly yelled the "N" word at him as he left a heath care meeting and walked to the Capitol.

"I haven't seen heard anything like this in more than 40 years, maybe 45." Lewis said. "Since the march from Selma to Montgomery really."
"Yeah, but it's okay," Lewis added. "I've faced this before. So, it reminded me of the 60's. There's a lot of downright hate and anger and people are just being downright mean."

The incident was confirmed by Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana, who was walking with Lewis at the time. Protesters were yelling, "'kill the bill, kill the bill' and the 'N' word several times," Carson said.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri, released a statement late Saturday saying he too was called the "N" word as he walked to the Capitol for a vote and that he was spat on by one protestor who was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police. Cleaver declined to press charges against the man, the statement said.

Protesters also hurled anti-gay comments at Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, who is openly gay, as he left the same health care meeting that Lewis attended in a House office building.


A CNN producer overheard the word "faggot" yelled at Frank several times in the lobby of the Longworth building. Frank said he heard someone yell "homo" at him.

"I'm disappointed," Frank said. "There's an unwillingness to be civil."

Frank, who said he rarely hears such slurs anymore, said the health care issue has become "the proxy for a lot of other sentiments. A lot of which are perfectly reasonable but some of which are kind of ugly."

Is this an exception to the rule?  Perhaps.  I'm sure there are lots of decent folks who are part of this movement.  But when the anger of the movement reaches this level, someone needs to take responsibility and address the issue.  Take a look at how this group of Tea Baggers treated a man with Parkinson's disease: