Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

[wildpurplechild]

It's not just a day off school, (but aren't we thankful we do get a day off) but a day to pay respect to the man who helped change America for the better. Thank you Martin Luther King Junior!

[F.M Disciple]

I couldn't agree with you more.

thanks to the activist of the civil rights movement, America is fully living by our creed that "all men are created equal."

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everybody!

[EricTheFred]

Agreed. And a bit of extra posthumous congrats to him this time around, being the first MLKjr day with an African-American president in the White House. Kind of sad to think, but for a misquided gunman, he might have lived to see it.

Unfortunately, for those of us who aren't students, teachers, federal employees or bank employees, it's just another day at work.

[Fish and Chips]

I should probably preface this post by saying I respect Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the great orators of the 20th Century and a man devoted to furthering racial acceptance and equality.



That said:

[EricTheFred]

Nose.... Hurts..., Must... Stop... Facepalming....

[Nate]

thanks to the activist of the civil rights movement, America is fully living by our creed that "all men are created equal."

I disagree. Completely and totally.

I won't go into detail. I don't want to start debate. I admire Rev. King's efforts and it's true he did a lot for civil rights, and we should be grateful.

From what I see though, America has a long, LONG way to go before our creed that all men are created equal is completely lived by. There are many reasons for this, but the sad fact is there is still a huge divide between many people for various reasons, and certain people are not treated with the dignity and equality they deserve.

So while we should honor Rev. King, and admire his accomplishments, we shouldn't grow complacent. We should not believe "Yep, he did the job and finished it" because he didn't. Civil rights have improved by leaps and bounds but they are still not where they need to be, and they may not ever. The best way to honor Rev. King's memory today is not to sit back and reminisce about the things he said, but actively put them into practice. Go out and fight for the equality of all men, because all men are not equal in this country right now. Fulfill his dream, because it has not yet been realized.

In other words, carry on his legacy, until the day when all people in this country really ARE treated equally. It's what he would've wanted.

[LadyRushia]

You make great points, Nate. We still do have a very long way to go as a country. Just to make things official, though, please no one start a debate in this thread.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

From what I see though, America has a long, LONG way to go before our creed that all men are created equal is completely lived by. There are many reasons for this, but the sad fact is there is still a huge divide between many people for various reasons, and certain people are not treated with the dignity and equality they deserve.

So while we should honor Rev. King, and admire his accomplishments, we shouldn't grow complacent. We should not believe "Yep, he did the job and finished it" because he didn't. Civil rights have improved by leaps and bounds but they are still not where they need to be, and they may not ever. The best way to honor Rev. King's memory today is not to sit back and reminisce about the things he said, but actively put them into practice. Go out and fight for the equality of all men, because all men are not equal in this country right now. Fulfill his dream, because it has not yet been realized.

In other words, carry on his legacy, until the day when all people in this country really ARE treated equally. It's what he would've wanted.

Quoted for Truth.

Winston Churchill said "This is not the end--this is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Regardless of who's in the White House or the Supreme Court, we have a ways to go before we as a country say we treat all people equally. Until we can treat each other the way we want to be treated, love each other as we love ourselves, then we're still living in a country where the color of our skin is more important than the content of our character.

[rocklobster]

Let me add that his work is not done until even the rest of the world treats its people correctly. Sadly, there are some countries where oppression is much worse. Haiti, for example, was a poor country even before the quakes. Last year, 80% of its people lived below the poverty line.