Many things have been said and written about Dr. King throughout the years. Some elevate him to sainthood...others denigrate him as immoral and a philanderer. In the fog of the passing years, he has too often just become a symbol for political gain...or a reason for a day off from work or school. But Dr. King was simply a man, like any other...not a perfect man by any means...but a man of uncommon conviction and dedication to his righteous cause, a cause for which he gave his life.
Many today, from both sides of the political spectrum, would seek to take up his mantle, but they already live in a world that he only dreamed of...and helped to bring about. They do not know the intense and obvious hatred that was hurled at him as he followed his cause. They do not know the extreme environment of violence in which he walked, while always exhorting others to take the high and moral road, as in the excerpt from the speech below:
"But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone."He was not a perfect man, as far as I know there has only been one perfect man who ever walked this earth. But he was a man, an individual, who saw injustice...who saw pain and suffering...and who saw the promise of this great republic being denied to so many of it's citizens...and said I can do something..."I have a dream." And his dream would not be denied.
Take some time on this day set aside to honor Dr. King's legacy to reflect on our past...to reflect on his accomplishments and the context in which he performed them. Take some time to watch his most famous and important speech and appreciate his Glorious Dream.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
