Jesus Christ himself would not have received the send-off that the remains of Rep. John Lewis endured recently. What should have been a reverent and solemn rite of Christian burial turned into a weeklong extravaganza of overblown media coverage, social justice gamesmanship and celebrity-speak.

President Obama showed his true colors by turning what was to be an eulogy address into a full-blown political campaign speech complete with applause, cheers and standing ovations. In my opinion, none of this did justice to the man who was due his day of atonement.

I always considered Lewis a genuine American hero and icon because he attained his role as a leader of the Black community the old-fashioned way: He earned it, and not by decree as I believe Obama, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have.

While a tally of the total resources expended for this occasion is not known, I have a feeling that Lewis would have preferred those funds go toward the advancement of the underprivileged in our inner cities.

Ken Mowl

Derry

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