BY STEVEN STIEFEL
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — In memory of the late Congressman John Lewis, some local citizens gathered and created some “Good Trouble” of their own, assembling on the Moores Mill Road bridge and displaying handmade signs to Interstate 85 drivers. The signs spelled out, “Love Your Neighbor.”
The words, taken from The Bible are part of God’s commandments, emphasizing compassion, fairness and community responsibility. The Biblical message was shared in memory of Lewis, the late U.S. Congressman and civil rights leader who dedicated his life to the fight for justice.
“We’re just trying to keep [Lewis’] legacy alive of being in trouble and peacefully,” said Lindsay McCormick, a member of the Auburn Opelika Indivisible organization.
Lewis popularized the phrase “Good Trouble” as a call for peaceful civil disobedience in the face of injustice — not chaos or violence, but righteous dissent.
“We are reminding everybody that they matter here and they’re part of our community. We’re trying to bring people together.”
McCormick mentioned the current environment of political divisiveness as the Trump Administration directs U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids to round up citizens in Lee County and across the nation who entered the country illegally for a federal deportation campaign.
“I think there’s been an incredible amount of division. We are trying to push back on it. We just want to love our neighbors and love our community and respect one another. And that includes immigrants and people who are a part of our community. We don’t want to exclude anybody. That means there’s no limitations to what it means to love your neighbor.”
She admitted that holding up signs isn’t likely to halt the ICE effort, but her group seeks to open hearts and change minds locally.
“I think that if people see they’re not alone in this situation, loved by their neighbors and know that there’s options for people to still be a part of something, it’s good. Even if they have struggled with rejecting the division that’s been kind of sewn into our community,” McCormick said.
Concerning the local ICE raids, she said, “I think families should stay together. And I genuinely believe that we’re stronger with immigrants. Continued pressure is important to know that this isn’t normal, and we shouldn’t fall prey to thinking that it is.”
Lisa Browning of Auburn said they were present to “honor the courage and bravery of John Lewis. I’m sure that he’s smiling down on us for what we’re doing.”
Rebecca Kelly of Auburn shared her belief that “people deserve to be treated like human beings. And I guess this is a reminder to people to be nicer to their neighbors. Treat people like you’d want them to treat you.”
Ralph Banks of Auburn said that while some immigrants need to go back to their home countries, “the fact is, the immigration system has been broken for as long as any of us has been alive, and it’s been that way on purpose. And the fact is, it will be, if they deport all the, ‘illegal immigrants,’ the economy of this country will crash like we haven’t seen since 1930.”
The group cheered as numerous cars honked horns while driving past the display.