Throughout most of his
life, Elijah Cummings' parents were his guidelights.
"Neither had much education," he wrote; they were
sharecroppers who moved north so that their children could
have better opportunities and they motivated Cummings to
become a lawyer, Civil Rights worker, and a Congressman.
They inspired him to serve, he said, and "I believe that is
why I was put on this earth."
His service began early
but his biggest "fight... for our democracy" began in 2017,
following his first meeting with the newly inaugurated
president. Cummings believed that despite their fundamental
differences, Trump had listened then, and understood the
needs of Cummings' constitutents, especially in reference to
the cost of prescription drugs. Instead, Cummings' words
were dismissed and nothing happened.
Though not the type to
carry a grudge, Cummings never forgot. When he was asked to
serve on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform two
years later, his first thought was for the American people,
and the responsibility that his position as chair of the
Committee demanded. The Trump Administration, he said, had
had no real oversight until then, and he hoped to rectify
that. He still had a passion for lowering prescription
drugs, but his new position demanded a broader scope of
attention.
In months to come, that
would include a fight to keep important words off the 2020
Census. It included mentoring and guiding freshman
Representatives. And it included the groundwork for
impeachment proceedings that Cummings did not live long
enough to see.
Not just for its political
implications, but for the everyday lessons inside it,
We're Better Than This is a book to have now.
Writing literally as he
was dying, author Elijah Cummings began his book with two
people who appear frequently in it: his parents. From there,
he sparkles as a storyteller, sharing vivid memories that
are both personal and professional, and that give readers a
sharp sense of what drove him. This part speaks volumes
about Cummings himself.
It's hard not to be
thrilled as he proceeds to his recollections of what
happened while he was chair of the Oversight Committee:
riveted as we were by it, Cummings' account of the drama
offers further behind-the-scenes peeks at, and his thoughts
on, those proceedings. Wisdom, a charming ownership of his
constituents, some well-deserved back-patting, and an
awareness of his impending death add further luster.
In his introduction,
co-author James Dale writes about his friendship with
Cummings, and about finishing this inspiring read without
him. That alone is poignant; the rest is insightful; and
reading We're Better Than This is really the best
idea.
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