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OPINION
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 • PAGE 5
Following John Lewis’ path by standing up,
speaking up and speaking out
The past two weeks have been
emotionally draining for those who
admired the lifelong work of civil
rights legend Congressman John
Lewis.
The days-long tributes for Lewis
were edifying for those unfamiliar
with the extent of his sacrifice and
dedication and comforting for others
knowledgeable about how he served
the country and became such a
revered leader. Lewis was not one to
champion a single cause or group,
he passionately fought for the civil
rights and human rights of people of
color, the poor, immigrants, senior
citizens, the LGBQT community
and more. He worked hard for the
interests of his constituents in the
5th Congressional District, which he
represented for more than 30 years,
but his focus was always broader.
He fought injustices across the
American landscape.
Lewis’ passing on July 17
leaves many of us wondering
about the future, particularly in
these tumultuous times of our
nation’s crisis. Civil unrest, protests
against injustices, calls for change,
confrontations with police and
government are reminiscent of the
nationwide civil rights struggle of
decades ago.
As he knew his life was ending,
Lewis left us with a gift. In his final
days he penned words of inspiration
that he requested be published in The
New York Times on the day of his
funeral.
In part, his eloquent and moving
essay stated, “Ordinary people with
extraordinary vision can redeem
the soul of America by getting in
what I call good trouble, necessary
trouble. Voting and participating
in the democratic process are key.
The vote is the most powerful
nonviolent change agent you have in
a democratic society.”
He also shared that he was
compelled to visit Black Lives
Matter plaza in Washington, D.C., in
his final days.
“You filled me with hope
about the next chapter of the great
American story when you used
your power to make a difference
in our society,” stated Lewis in the
essay. “Millions of people motivated
simply by human compassion
laid down the burdens of division.
Around the country and the world,
you set aside race, class, age,
language and nationality to demand
respect for human dignity.”
Lewis looked upon the
turbulence in our nation and saw
hope and promise. He asked all
of us to “stand up, speak up and
speak out” for the betterment of our
community, country and the world.
What better way to honor this
legend than to do just that.
Cain and Able
Without a doubt, 2020 continues
to be the year of the “Great Suck.”
The world and Georgia lost two civil
rights giants within hours of each in
the last week of July, and now we
lost another leader - and to me, a
good friend.
Herman Cain, a successful
entrepreneur, former presidential and
U.S. Senate candidate, and longtime
radio talk show talent at WSB Ra
dio, as well as nationally syndicated
commentator, succumbed to coro-
navims. He was not the first person
taken too soon by this pandemic, nor
will he be the last, but the place he
leaves behind was and is a unique
one.
Cain was a Black conservative;
they are not as rare as a white rhi
noceros or white deer, but they can
be hunted and targeted, even within
their own communities, almost as
fiercely.
Cain was originally brought in
to the WSB Radio team in Atlanta
as a fill-in host. I would later learn
of his many abilities and highly im
pressive business career with Burger
King, Pillsbury, Godfather’s Pizza,
and the National Restaurant Associ
ation. He also chaired the regional
Federal Reserve Bank dining his
tenure in Kansas City. I joined the
deep talent roster of WSB Radio in
Atlanta as a political analyst in 2006.
‘One Man’s
Opinion’
BILL CRANE
bill.csicrane@gmail.com
As I got to know Herman, I of
ten heard of his wife Gloria and two
children. As his conservative star
was rising, he became WSB Radio’s
nighttime conservative voice and
talk show host. The New Herman
Cain Show was bom.
Heading into the 2008 presiden
tial campaign season, Herman and
his longtime radio show producer
Shane Backler, or Shaney B„ as he
is known to longtime fans, began to
call to book me during the 9 to 10
p.m. hour of his show. We would
discuss the presidential primaries,
the field shaping up for contested
races in the U.S. Senate and House
as well as the issues driving the
attention and focus of the elector
ate. I’m not sure who suggested
it first, but this segment became a
Wednesday night regular feature
of Herman’s show called “Cain &
Crane: Food for Your Brain.”
My politics were not and are not
as conservative as Herman’s; there
were and are many things we agreed
on, particularly the responsibility
of each individual to take control of
their own life and to not look to or
rely on the government (at any level)
to solve every problem.
Yet on those rare occasions that
we disagreed; Herman was never
disagreeable. I asked him as he was
entering the presidential contest in
2012 why he would give up the lu
crative and safe perch of a nationally
syndicated radio program for the
crapshoot of national politics as well
as the possible negative impacts of a
presidential campaign on his family.
He said it had been a hard les
son that took him a long time to
leam to tell the difference between
what one “had to do,” and what one
“ought to do,” - the latter coming to
him in the church often as it related
to helping or leading others in a
better direction. Herman felt he had
something to offer our nation and he
ably entered the arena as he felt it
was something he ought to do with
little regard for the financial and per
sonal sacrifices he would make.
As news outlets and particu
larly cable networks will continue
to insinuate that Herman caught
COVID-19 while attending a Trump
campaign rally in Tulsa on June 20,
sans mask, you should know that it
was Herman’s daughter who came
home to be with him and his wife af
ter experiencing several COVID-19
symptoms after the rally.
On July 1, Herman took his
daughter to be cared for at an area
hospital. Having survived multiple
forms of cancer and aggressive che
motherapy treatments, Herman had
a somewhat compromised immune
system. As his daughter was being
taken into care, Herman stood up out
of his car to check on her and col
lapsed at the door to the emergency
room. He was admitted into the hos
pital as well and unfortunately this
virus did the rest. However, even
until the end, Herman was fighting
back, and I hear from those who did
speak to or email with him, he still
had those jokes and that smile and
high spirit with him until the end.
I imagine about now it will
be happy hour in heaven, Herman
please go ahead and pour one for
me, I will be there before too terribly
long to join you. Rest in peace, my
friend.
Bill Crane also serves as a political
analyst and commentator for Channel 2’s
Action News, WSB-AMNews/Talk 750
and now 95.5 FM, as well as a columnist
for The Champion, DeKalb Free Press
and Georgia Trend. Crane is a DeKalb
native and business owner, living in
Scottdale. You can reach him or comment
on a column at bill.csicrane@gmail.com.
