Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) announced over the weekend that he is battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Lewis, 79, is an icon of the Civil Rights movement and has served in Congress since 1987. Thoughts and prayers have been pouring in, but none from Biff as of yet.
December 29, 2019 Press Release:
“I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now.
“This month in a routine medical visit, and subsequent tests, doctors discovered Stage IV pancreatic cancer. This diagnosis has been reconfirmed.
“While I am clear-eyed about the prognosis, doctors have told me that recent medical advances have made this type of cancer treatable in many cases, that treatment options are no longer as debilitating as they once were, and that I have a fighting chance.
“So I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross.
“To my constituents: being your representative in Congress is the honor of a lifetime. I will return to Washington in coming days to continue our work and begin my treatment plan, which will occur over the next several weeks. I may miss a few votes during this period, but with God’s grace I will be back on the front lines soon.
Thoughts and prayers. Fuck cancer.
This makes me want to stamp my feet like a child while screaming “NO FAIR!” May he live long enough to see Biff pay for his crimes.
One thing to remember about people like John Lewis, MLK, Diane Nash, Bob Moses, Julian Bond, and Andrew Young is that no matter how ugly things look with Trump and the GOP, they fought and won against much starker odds.
The GOP is trying to stack the deck for the coming decade, but what’s happening in 2019 is chickenfeed compared to what John Lewis was up against sixty years ago. John Lewis beat the racists then, and they can be beaten back again.
I pray he recovers; we need more like Rep Lewis.
Cancer attacks without regard to a person’s age, race, sexual identity, or beliefs; and without mercy. It is an awful, world-altering word to hear.