Steve Rothman: “I thank Congresswoman Hooley for putting together this tribute to our friend, the late Walter Capps. First of all, I…”

“I thank Congresswoman Hooley for putting together this tribute to our friend, the late Walter Capps. First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to Lois and Walter's children. We can only imagine how you are feeling. You have our thoughts and our prayers. Walter Capps lived a very rich and vigorous life, serving his community in many different ways. As a young man in Omaha, Nebraska, he learned the value of a hard day's work with Union Pacific Railroad by delivering newspapers and by painting houses. As a professor of religious studies at the University of California Santa Barbara, he emerged as a national leader in the study of peace and conflict, veterans affairs, and America's democracy. While at the University of California Santa Barbara, he also developed one of the first college curriculums on the history, experience and ramifications of the Vietnam War. He was active with his community, service organizations in the Santa Barbara area and in his own Lutheran church. Walter epitomized the kind of person we all want to be, not only as Members of Congress, but as human beings. In a time when petty partisanship engulfs this body so often, too often, and prevents the Congress, many times, from doing the people's work, it was such a gift to be able to look over and see Walter Capps, a man who exuded humility and compassion and grace. He refused to subscribe to the lowest common denominator of discourse.”