Hillary Clinton's tribute to CT Vivian and call for VRA to be restored sparks mixed reactions online
America lost two important civil rights leaders on Friday, July 17, 2020: John Lewis, US Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district, and CT Vivian, minister and author. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took to Twitter to pay her respects to Vivian.
"We've lost a giant of the civil rights movement with the passing of C.T. Vivian. I hope the next Congress honors his life and legacy, and the lives and legacies of his compatriots, by restoring the VRA," Clinton tweeted.
For those who may not know, the VRA or Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation that banned racial discrimination in the voting process. The VRA was highly diluted in 2013 when the US Supreme Court struck down certain sections of the act as unconstitutional.
A great chunk of Internet users responded positively to Clinton's tweet, sharing their respects for both Lewis and Vivian while also voicing support to reinstate the VRA in its full capacity.
"He proved that nonviolence worked," one user tweeted, while another wrote, "Exactly Hillary! The Congress needs to reinstate the VRA in the memories of both John Lewis, & C.T. Vivian. Especially in light of the SCOTUS dismantling it. #StillWithHer"
"I’m thankful for so much he has done for the civil rights movement. Yes, hopefully, the next Congress will do that," another Twitter user wrote. "We can't breathe not because of Coronavirus, but because of Chronic Racism from the cops; it seems that it became constitutional😥 America needs reform," yet another user declared.
However, the post did attract its share of negative comments. Most of the comments made were accusations against Clinton and did not address the deaths, and for the most part, those were responded to in kind by Clinton's supporters.
One of the more negative comments claimed that Clinton "forced inmates to serve as your waitstaff and maids at the Arkansas Governor’s mansion. Then supported the 1992 Crime Bill which effectively removed black fathers from society."
Another commenter wrote, "Hey Hillary... What's up with #ChinaGate ? The Monica thing worked out pretty well didnt it!? Never to late though... Tick Tock Tick Tock."