Lawrence O’Donnell: ‘These Dark Hours Have Demanded Things of People that They Have Risen to in the Past’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT And Lawrence ░░░░░░░░ want to bring you ░░░░░░░░ because and again I ░░░░░░░░ going back to this ░░░░░░░░ because like literally it ░░░░░░░░ like a little party ░░░░░░░░ re like a girl ░░░░░░░░ but we ve got ░░░░░░░░ let one guy or ░░░░░░░░ hang around hayes gets ░░░░░░░░ hang around but we ░░░░░░░░ our Lawrence Lawrence is ░░░░░░░░ the guy that we ░░░░░░░░ just we re all ░░░░░░░░ there waiting What in ░░░░░░░░ world is Lawrence going ░░░░░░░░ say Because we re ░░░░░░░░ to be like that ░░░░░░░░ it We got it ░░░░░░░░ understand it So do ░░░░░░░░ for us now Lawrence ░░░░░░░░ solve all of these ░░░░░░░░ problems for us now ░░░░░░░░ two one Go This ░░░░░░░░ This is the greatest ░░░░░░░░ lineup I ve Ever ░░░░░░░░ in So let me ░░░░░░░░ start with that To ░░░░░░░░ honor to be In ░░░░░░░░ lineup And joy I ░░░░░░░░ going to Skip the ░░░░░░░░ stuff Because we Did ░░░░░░░░ On Saturday It s ░░░░░░░░ I put it In ░░░░░░░░ in that first text ░░░░░░░░ I said I Love ░░░░░░░░ Okay so we Can ░░░░░░░░ Have that And writings ░░░░░░░░ So you have Y ░░░░░░░░ don t realize we ░░░░░░░░ text and call each ░░░░░░░░ like it s really ░░░░░░░░ But anyway please Lawrence ░░░░░░░░ So I want To ░░░░░░░░ to This wonderful Book ░░░░░░░░ Joy Ann Reid Oh ░░░░░░░░ merli no seriously This ░░░░░░░░ is important And it ░░░░░░░░ to and it s ░░░░░░░░ the answer Of what ░░░░░░░░ re talking About here ░░░░░░░░ you know right in ░░░░░░░░ middle of it in ░░░░░░░░ 194 there is this ░░░░░░░░ is the decisive battleground ░░░░░░░░ America Now that really ░░░░░░░░ like something someone said ░░░░░░░░ minutes ago or any ░░░░░░░░ in this year That ░░░░░░░░ 1964 That s a ░░░░░░░░ year old guy named ░░░░░░░░ schwerner who is going ░░░░░░░░ be murdered that year ░░░░░░░░ he says that because ░░░░░░░░ has Decided in 1964 ░░░░░░░░ what he s going ░░░░░░░░ do is leave the ░░░░░░░░ of his home in ░░░░░░░░ north and go to ░░░░░░░░ the most dangerous place ░░░░░░░░ America and go down ░░░░░░░░ as a civil rights ░░░░░░░░ trying to help people ░░░░░░░░ to vote that was ░░░░░░░░ choice There were other ░░░░░░░░ who couldn t do ░░░░░░░░ people his age who ░░░░░░░░ leaving their neighborhoods or ░░░░░░░░ towns in the north ░░░░░░░░ elsewhere around the country ░░░░░░░░ to fight the same ░░░░░░░░ tried to do what ░░░░░░░░ could do There were ░░░░░░░░ who decided that what ░░░░░░░░ would do is vote ░░░░░░░░ they would They were ░░░░░░░░ the side of the ░░░░░░░░ but all they could ░░░░░░░░ was vote But every ░░░░░░░░ of those people made ░░░░░░░░ kind of decision in ░░░░░░░░ face of something that ░░░░░░░░ hopeless It looked hopeless ░░░░░░░░ 1964 It looked in ░░░░░░░░ that if you think ░░░░░░░░ re going to work ░░░░░░░░ get black people the ░░░░░░░░ to vote in Mississippi ░░░░░░░░ are going to be ░░░░░░░░ and no one s ░░░░░░░░ to get the right ░░░░░░░░ vote And in the ░░░░░░░░ he won He won ░░░░░░░░ death He won from ░░░░░░░░ grave And that choice ░░░░░░░░ there for everybody all ░░░░░░░░ time And there s ░░░░░░░░ thing that comes to ░░░░░░░░ Joe and I ll ░░░░░░░░ up And that is ░░░░░░░░ lippmann When he Went ░░░░░░░░ his 30th class Harvard ░░░░░░░░ anniversary which I know ░░░░░░░░ a distant thing for ░░░░░░░░ your Harvard class your ░░░░░░░░ reunion isn t coming ░░░░░░░░ a long time but ░░░░░░░░ lippmann said to his ░░░░░░░░ class in 1940 you ░░░░░░░░ before the United States ░░░░░░░░ into world war two ░░░░░░░░ world war two is ░░░░░░░░ that they now had ░░░░░░░░ choice There was no ░░░░░░░░ They couldn t take ░░░░░░░░ for granted They had ░░░░░░░░ join this fight against ░░░░░░░░ They had to join ░░░░░░░░ because there was no ░░░░░░░░ you could sit back ░░░░░░░░ choose to do nothing ░░░░░░░░ didn t tell them ░░░░░░░░ to do He didn ░░░░░░░░ say you you know ░░░░░░░░ should join the army ░░░░░░░░ anything He just said ░░░░░░░░ know you absolutely must ░░░░░░░░ be committed with every ░░░░░░░░ of strength you have ░░░░░░░░ against something that seemed ░░░░░░░░ I mean Germany was ░░░░░░░░ raging across Europe then ░░░░░░░░ looked like it looks ░░░░░░░░ there was going to ░░░░░░░░ a winner and it ░░░░░░░░ going to be Hitler ░░░░░░░░ so these dark hours ░░░░░░░░ demanded things of people ░░░░░░░░ they have risen to ░░░░░░░░ the past and there ░░░░░░░░ no reason why people ░░░░░░░░ t find their own ░░░░░░░░ You know Michael schwerner ░░░░░░░░ t join a political ░░░░░░░░ He didn t need ░░░░░░░░ leader to tell him ░░░░░░░░ to do He just ░░░░░░░░ did it He just ░░░░░░░░ on that bus and ░░░░░░░░ went to Mississippi He ░░░░░░░░ did it And everyone ░░░░░░░░ just do it.