During the past few years, I've had numerous occasions to "cross paths" with Congressional incumbents from Texas. One stands out. Congressman Al Green won me over several years ago by being exceptionally gracious. I appreciated how easy it seems for him to extend himself for other people. I've seen him encourage other candidates who are running for Congress. I've seen him step forward to put in a word to help others get podium time, even if their war chests were light and their name recognition a "work in progress." Once a challenger becomes our party's nominee, you'd think that incumbents would do what they could to help them defeat obnoxious GOP incumbents. However, I find that is not the norm. Most incumbent ignore challengers, even after they win their primaries. I've never seen Congressman Al Green snub a challenger. I appreciate that enormously.
I have always found Congressman Al Green to be exceptionally gracious, very intelligent, and solid through and through. When I look at how members of Congress vote, I'm never surprised by Al Green's voting record. He is consistent. He's for Civil Rights, Human Rights, good affordable education, people having good health care, children and old people not going hungry, and good jobs for everyone and everyone getting paid good living wages in safe workplaces.
He doesn't seem to be a man who waste a lot of time with pretense. It is not necessary for him to spend a lot of time "forging a message." He is driven by a sincere desire to see people being treated fairly in business, in the courts, in the voting booth, in the community, in our schools. When it comes to gender discrimination and racial discrimination, whether in the workplace, education, pay, housing, or governmental contracts, I know how he'll vote. He always votes against it!
Al Green is truly passionate about policies which help people get and achieve what they need and deserve. He doesn't have to think a lot about how what he says will sound. Instead he concentrates on how to get the job done. Instead of "forging a message", he practices doing everything he can consistently to further what is beneficial for the human beings in his district and across the Lone Star State and United States of America.
He's not a person who blows off his mouth to capture the news cycle. This past week, however, he emerged onto the national stage when he stepped forward and officially called for Impeachment Proceedings to begin in the House of Representative in examining the actions of President Donald Trump. Others have discussed it. Others have tweeted about it. Others have posted videos about it. Congressman Green officially moved to get the Impeachment Process started.
When Congressman Green had seen enough. when he'd heard enough, when he knew enough, he did not wait for others to discuss it for many more months. Instead, he stepped forward and called for the Impeachment against Donald Trump to begin, and he called for it to begin right now.
I am convinced that he isn't doing this to tear this nation down. He isn't doing this for partisan purposes. He has taken this action because he knows enough to realize that there is ample evidence to suggest keeping Donald Trump in the Oval Office is places our nation and her people in danger, and there are ample grounds for removing him for office. He knows that intelligence is being shared with governments which are adversaries, rather than close allies sharing our interests. Al Green understands the Constitution of the United States and he sees ample constitutional grounds for impeachment.
Some of the more violent supporters of Donald Trump have stepped forward showing the dark underbelly of racial rhetoric. His action has made him a target for hatred. His life is being threatened. The ugliness Donald Trump encouraged during the primary and general election validated some of the baser instincts in a segment of the American population. Congressman Green is receiving the full force of their wrath.
As for me, I am reminded that long before he stepped forward and called for the impeachment of a man I never thought should occupy the Oval Office, I already knew that "I love Al Green!"
In my estimation, of the people who occupy seats in the US Congress, Congressman Al Green is definitely among the creme of the crop. He is consistent. He never falters when it comes to the rights of people, the priorities which address needs of the people rather than feathering the nest of the large donors and members of Congress. He values the Constitution of the United States. He fights for justice for every person. He doesn't back down when he knows something is right. He doesn't pay lip service and lend support to those who harm vulnerable people or foster hatred, facism, or racism. He does not shy away from standing up and speaking up for what is right, and just and true and necessary, even when others remain silent. He respects people. When you respect people rather than power and money, your motivation differs from those who are motivated by their own ambition or for their own self advancement or profit.
I am thankful that Congressman Al Green, a man who doesn't normally seek the spotlight, emerges as a voice coming from the Lone Star State. I habitually monitor how the members of Congress from the Texas vote. I monitor what they say. Much of the time, most of the members, disappoint rather than inspire me, with their votes and their positions. I suspect that until this past week, many people in the USA had never heard of him. Many from Texas, unless they are from the Houston area, probably never heard of him. We have 22 media markets in Texas and do not hear a lot about most members of Congress from other parts of the state. It is good that people all over this nation heard from Al Green this week. It's much better to hear from Al Green than from Ted Cruz or Louie Gohmert!
My wish is that someday more people will associatae Al Green and his code of integrity with the Lone Star State instead of the antics of blowhards like Ted Cruz, Louie Gohmert, Rick Perry and Joe Barton.
Al Green reflects the values of the state I grew up in much more than the selfish, stingy immoral, so called "moral majority" Freedom Caucus.
The Texas that I grew up in is where neighbors lend a hand up to neighbors and strangers when we know they need it. Seeing that value trashed is heartbreaking.
Instead of the "we can do it together" attitude, there is a cancer of faux religiousity which calls for more to be hungry, less to have health care, separating parents from children in the name of national security even when the parents have not broken any laws except for coming here, fewer to afford good education and job training, and for women to work for less pay than men who do the same jobs. A culture of discrimination and intimidation instead of justice and keeping the peace erodes our communities. Many in the Texas Legislature and US Congress favor policies which validate the worst instincts of some of our citizens. Al Green fights against such policies. He is a consistent voice speaking up for equality, fairness, justice, opportunity. My dad would say that what Congressman Green says and proposes is just plain old "common sense" or good old Texas style "horse sense." It makes such sense that it is amazing that so many people fail to comprehend the wisdom and necessity for creating a nation where our policies enable more people to succeed economically instead of making it harder for them!
If thinking about what is going on in Washington depresses you, then I recommend that you start following Congressman Al Green. It will show you that we still have some "good eggs" who aren't spoiled and worthless in the House of Representative. If you need to regain a little faith that Texas can send good people to Congress, then start watching Al Green. You'll see that some of them still persist in doing what they were sent to Washington to do -- fight for policies which preserve the Constitution, are just to everyone, and which uses the treasury and powers of this nation for all of the people! If you are tired of those who hog the limelight and who knock others out of the way to get to onto the front row for photo ops, watch Al Green. You'll probaby have to google a bit to find mention of him because he is a man who focuses on getting the job done for the people instead of posing for photo ops and pulling stunts to grab the news cycle. I find that exceptionally refreshing. This old Texas gal is comforted to know that Texans have Rep. Al Green in the U.S. House of Representatives. I think the more you get to know him, you'll grow comforted knowing that he's in Congress. He's a man who instead of thumping the Bible and posturing as a "Christian", puts into practices some of the teachings we learned in Sunday School: "care for the orphans and windows," "extend hospitality to strangers", "heal the sick", "do not oppress the poor", "feed the hungry."
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