The Speaker has ordered Capitol flags to be lowered to half-staff in tribute to a sharecropper's son

[StarfishSaver]

Congressman Elijah Cummings deserves all of the honors and tributes he will receive in the coming days. He was a profoundly good and decent man.

His death is a loss and a blow to the nation and a personal loss for me. He was my friend of many years and I admired and loved him more than words can express.

Rest in peace, dear man. You did good and you did well. We'll take it from here.

[blm]

1. Your fight is OUR fight, sir.

[Mike 03]

2. I'm sorry for your loss StarfishSaver

What a blessing to have known such a man.

Indescribable loss for this country.

[ChubbyStar]

3. We must carry the GIANT on our backs

Elijah, nothing less for you.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

4. So sorry for your loss - and our loss too.

[bdamomma]

5. We must take it from here.

[abqtommy]

6. To paraphrase a line from the movie To Kill A Mockingbird:

Stand up, Elijah is passing by...

[StarfishSaver]

9. I love this!

[blaze]

35. Perfect nt

[BumRushDaShow]

36. I was going to post the video clip in my LBN thread earlier this morning

but will do so here -

[KT2000]

43. that is how this feels

[Docreed2003]

7. Sorry for your loss Starfish....

Thank you for your post

[Ninga]

8. Most heartfelt condolences StarfishSaver. A profound loss.

[mcar]

10. RIP, Noble man

[Backseat Driver]

11. RIP Elijah Cummings...

I sang this in HS chorus in the '60s.

[Backseat Driver]

12. Also this:

Feeling a bit of survivor guilt this day; we shared a birthday -

[CaptainTruth]

13. I still can't believe it...

[mountain grammy]

14. I'm so sorry for your loss..

[scheming daemons]

28. it is ALL OF OUR loss

[mountain grammy]

39. I do know that..

just expressing sympathies for the OP who had a personal relationship with the Congressman. I never personally knew the man, but still feel the loss. I can only imagine how hard it is for family and friends.

I do understand when someone like Congressman Cummings dies, it's a loss for all of us.

[ismnotwasm]

15. K&R

[Scarsdale]

16. Deepest sympathy.

I hope "60 Minutes" repeats the interview with Scott Pelley. Elijah Cummings spoke about his childhood, and walked through his district. His inherent decency and honesty shines through the entire time. Truly a treasure of a representative. He will be profoundly missed. Condolences to all who knew him and loved him.

[barbtries]

17. so sorry for your loss.

i never had the honor of meeting him but his death is hitting hard regardless. I've been crying on and off all morning.
It was unexpected for me. I was shocked when i woke up to this news.

[calimary]

18. I bet they'll have his casket set in that place of honor

under the Capitol rotunda.

I’m not sure whether the proper term is “lying in state” or “lying in repose.” I think it involves the rank of the deceased.

[Garrett78]

19. One word: hero

[packman]

20. Not one for Bible quotes - but this is appropriate for the sharcropper's son

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day

[sprinkleeninow]

44. In my heart of hearts, I believe he has received the blessed words of

"Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Orthodox Christian Prayer~~
Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away.

🌠

[keithbvadu2]

21. "The Speaker has ordered" The Speaker? Not 'The President'?

"The Speaker has ordered"

The Speaker?

Not 'The President'?

[rzemanfl]

32. I think flags are flown at half staff whenever a sitting

member of the House dies.

ON EDIT-I was correct. U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7

[rickyhall]

22. The wrong people are dying. We'll miss a Good Fighter.

[brer cat]

23. I'm sorry for your personal loss, StarfishSaver

and the loss for our country.

[Raster]

24. I am so sorry for your loss...

...Cummings' death is truly a loss for our nation. I never met the man, but admired him from afar. His goodness and decency were apparent for all to see.

[sheshe2]

25. A beautiful tribute to a good man.

I am sorry for your loss and for this nations loss.

Rest in peace Elijah Cummings.

[Sloumeau]

26. "a counselor told Cummings he was too slow to learn and spoke poorly"

Excerpt from abcnews.com:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elijah-cummings-esteemed-longtime-baltimore-congressman-died-68-today-2019-10-17/

Cummings was born on Jan. 18, 1951. In grade school, a counselor told Cummings he was too slow to learn and spoke poorly and he would never fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer.

"I was devastated," Cummings told The Associated Press in 1996, shortly before he won his seat in Congress. "My whole life changed. I became very determined."

It steeled Cummings to prove that counselor wrong. He became not only a lawyer, but one of the most powerful orators in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he entered office in 1983. He rose to become House speaker pro tem, the first black delegate to hold the position. He would begin his comments slowly, developing his theme and raising the emotional heat until it became like a sermon from the pulpit.

[pandr32]

27. We WILL take it from here

He helped us this far and we absolutely must continue.

[StarfishSaver]

29. We will take it from here because he showed us how.

[spooky3]

30. Condolences to you and to Cong. Cummings' family. Nt

[Hermit-The-Prog]

31. sorry for your loss and ours

Still in a bit of shock over losing Mr. Cummings.

[StarfishSaver]

33. Charles Blow on "son of a sharecropper"

Link to tweet

[DinahMoeHum]

34. Rest in Power, Congressman Elijah Cummings.

[deurbano]

37. When I woke up today, my daughter warned me there was very bad news. I asked if it was about our

country or something more personal. When she told me the great and beloved Congressman Cummings had died, it felt like both. "Profoundly good and decent" is exactly how I would describe him as an admirer from afar, and it's gratifying to know that was your personal experience as well. I'm very sorry for your personal loss... and for our country's loss of such an honorable, inspiring and effective leader during these perilous times.

[StarfishSaver]

38. "it felt like both"

Beautifully stated.

Thank you for your kind words.

[pnwmom]

40. Do you happen to know if he had any wishes about where remembrances might be made?

It was a blow to so many to learn that we've lost this great man.

I am sorry for your personal loss, StarfishSaver! And I'm praying for his loving family.

[StarfishSaver]

41. Thanks, pnwmom. I don't know

But when I find out, I'll share it here.

[pnwmom]

42. Good. Thank you!

[oasis]

45. America has been blessed to have such caring and dedicated lawmakers.

[Hortensis]

46. What we can do for him IS to take it from here. He died

at a time of great national peril in the middle of battle, not knowing what its end would be.

"When we're dancing w/the angels the question will be asked, 'in 2019 what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy?"

[BlancheSplanchnik]

47. You're making me cry again.

I am sorry at the loss of your friend.
He was a friend of us all, because he was a friend to the U.S.
😢🙏🏾