Man who beat civil rights leader, John Lewis, asks forgiveness

[bigtree]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Elwin Wilson was an unabashed racist, the sort who once hung a black doll from a noose outside his home. John Lewis was a young civil rights leader bent on changing laws, if not hearts and minds, even if it cost him his life.

They faced each other at a South Carolina bus station during a protest in 1961. Wilson joined a white gang that jeered Lewis, attacked him and left him bloodied on the ground.

Forty-eight years later, the men met again _ this time so Wilson could apologize to Lewis and express regret for his hatred. Lewis, now a congressman from Atlanta, greeted his former tormentor at his Capitol Hill office.

``I just told him that I was sorry,'' Wilson, 72, said in a telephone interview Wednesday as he traveled home to Rock Hill, S.C. For years, he said, he tried to block the incident out of his mind ``and couldn't do it.''

Lewis said Wilson is the first person involved in the dozens of attacks against him during the civil rights era to step forward and apologize. When they met Tuesday, Lewis offered forgiveness without hesitation.

``I was very moved,'' said Lewis. ``He was very, very sincere, and I think it takes a lot of raw courage to be willing to come forward the way he did. ... I think it will lead to a great deal of healing.''

read: http://www.tri-parishtimes.com/articles/2009/02/06/ap/nation/328_54_apn.txt

[Raskolnik]

1. Man, that's a hell of a thing. n/t

[wryter2000]

5. I'm with you.

:wow:

[gratuitous]

10. Thirded

And after more than 40 years, what else can you say to the guy, except "I forgive you"? Let's both lay down our burdens and live like brothers.

[RB TexLa]

2. Lewis gives more forgiveness than I do.

I have many people that were good friends that I have never spoken to again for much much more trivial matters.

[G_j]

3. great story

thank you

[tekisui]

4. I was just about to post this.

Things can change, this is a great story. I met John Lewis about a month ago. He was such a strong and kind man. I was very impressed. He really walks the talk and practices what he preaches.

Recommended.

[HardWorkingDem]

6. Is there another person as magnanimous as John Lewis?

Every time this man comes on television, I am compelled to listen to what he has to say. Even though he is quite well know, I still think he is one American who deserves much more attention than he gets.

When I read this in the paper and read his comments, it struck me that there are very few people in public service as generous, compassionate and true American heroes than this man.

[bigtree]

7. I remember the Pope accepted his attacker's apology

This is right up there with that one.

[kcass1954]

33. Same here. I don't think there's anyone in DC who I respect more than John Lewis. n/t

[Lithos]

8. If Wilson is truly repetent

And I think he is. There is only one answer and that is forgiveness. Lewis also knows to the folly of continuing the cycle of hatred as he is knows what it does from a first hand experience. I would have been very surprised had he acted differently.

L-

[yellowcanine]

9. John Lewis knows that forgiveness does more for the victim than the perpetrater.

I suspect he forgave the racists long ago.

[WI_DEM]

11. It's never too late to change.

[ezgoingrl]

12. The best part of the article is

"...Lewis offered forgiveness without hesitation." What a great story!

[starroute]

13. There's video at this ABC page

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=6813984&page=1

[roguevalley]

14. this is good for your soul, to forgive. its actually pretty easy once

you decide to do it. I have to a couple of nazis who made my life hell, I forgave them. I did it for me and it was freeing in a way that's hard to describe. that man feels more free now than he has for forty years. This is good.

[roody]

27. Just the story is an incredible tearjerker.

I haven't watched the video yet.

[Karenina]

15. Did anyone see Letterman with Bill Hicks' mom?

This, IMHO, is the stuff that excises the cancers our mindsets have developed.

[roody]

16. I'm going to share this with my 5th grade English class.

We spent 4 days watching King: from Montgomery to Memphis.

[tosh]

17. You are a GOOD teacher.

[Johnyawl]

18. What touched me about this...

...was in the video they talked about him going to the people of his town and apologizing for his behavior and hatred. This wasn't just about him apologizing to Rep. Lewis.

[David Zephyr]

19. Thanks for this inspiring story, bigtree.

John Lewis is such a great man. K&R.

[ColbertWatcher]

21. Looks like they both are. n/t

[emilyg]

25. Agree.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. Looks like they both are. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

20. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, bigtree.

[Vektor]

23. What a moving story.

Gives a bit of hope, eh?

[bertman]

24. Sometimes beautiful moments fall into our needy lives like ripe, red apples from a tree.

Thank you for posting this. I needed to hear something this inspiring after a week of Republican small mindedness engulfing the airwaves and internets.

[PylesMalfunction]

26. What a wonderful story

Thank you!

[jobycom]

28. Too many aspects of this story to wrap my mind around.

What this says about both men, what it says about time, what it says about the South, and Civil Rights, and forgiveness, and inclusion, and humanity, and hope for the future.... Damn... Sometimes it's as liberating to admit you were wrong as it is to be proven you were right.

[stlsaxman]

29. brave, strong and beautiful. all in one simple act.

blind fear puts us all in hell on earth.

[peacetalksforall]

30. This is a story we won't forget.

[Dystopian]

31. KandR. Thank you for posting this...Beautiful & Inspiring n/t

peace~

[nevergiveup]

32. Thank you for this story

Sometimes you just want to throw in the towel and then there is a story like this and you are in a sense, born again, you have your hope back. Thank you Mr. Wilson and Mr. Lewis.

[Chorophyll]

34. This is the reality of "hope and change."

Thank you for posting this. I might have missed it otherwise.

[jonmiller74]

35. We have an enormous capacity to grow and change...

for the better. We just need to show the strength of character to do it.