Goodbye to John Lewis: One of the great heroes of America

Three former American presidents have paid tribute to the late civil rights activist and democratic Congressman John Lewis as one of the great heroes of America. Lewis had been in the fight against inequality and racism of the "indefatigable perseverance", said the former President Barack Obama on Thursday. Despite all the challenges, Lewis had always remained confident and was used for progress and equal rights. Obama, the only black President of the United States, said he and many Americans were for always Lewis’ fault. Lewis was one of the "founding fathers" of a better and fairer America, Obama said.

The former President in his vigorous speech far more than a tribute to the at the age of 80 years, deceased, and criticized his successor, Donald Trump for its crackdown on protesters. "We are witnesses of how our Federal government sends police agents to the tear gas, and batons against peaceful protesters use," he said. The first black President of American history, also criticised Attempts to "those in Power", African-Americans and other minorities from the polls. Obama called, among other things, the closure of polling stations, a Complicate of absentee ballots, as well as stricter rules for the registration of voters, the minorities are particularly affected. "Our voting rights are cropped with surgical precision," said the Democrat in a fighters way of speech, without mentioning his successor by name.

Trump had, among other things, Federal police officers in the city of Portland sent out, the went then with great force against the protesters. The death of the African-American George Floyd in a brutal police operation in Minneapolis in may, has triggered country-wide protests against racism and police violence against Black people. On the margins of mostly peaceful protests, there was rioting repeatedly.

The Republican former President George W. Bush paid tribute to Lewis with the words: "We live today because of John Lewis in a better country." Lewis had taught all the people, "to answer hate and fear with love and hope," Bush said at the memorial service for Lewis in a Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Bush added that he was politically not always agree with the Democrats, but what exactly do the size of America, for the Lewis have fought. Former President Bill Clinton, in turn, said that he had lost with Lewis’ death a true friend. Lewis had shown the people, that one should not give up in the fight against injustice never said the Democrat. "Whatever happened, John Lewis marched on," Clinton said.

Lewis was on 17. July at the age of 80 years due to a cancer disease died. He had already as a young man at the side of Martin Luther King for the right to vote, equality and against racism. He was beaten up in his life several times from police or angry Whites, and was arrested dozens of times in protests. In his more than 30 years as a member of Lewis was from 1987, for freedom's rights, poverty and equality. He was always proud to "make good Trouble" when it came to protesting against injustice and racism.