Palmer Events Center
Honor Martin Luther King
RECEIVED Thu., Jan. 18, 2007
Dear Editor,
On Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, many newspapers still didn’t do justice to his legacy. They only acknowledged him as a great civil-rights leader, not mentioning the depth of his commitment to social justice and the complexity of his political convictions. And on TV we watched replays of his “I have a dream” speech but no footage of his more radical “Beyond Vietnam” speech of 1967. This holiday is becoming like others, with no sense of honoring the true meaning of the occasion. Only when we understand the full scope of King’s vision of equality and human rights can we appreciate his true legacy. The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was just the beginning for him. Dr. King was intelligent and conscientious enough to recognize and empathize with global injustices. He criticized corporate capitalism and interventionist U.S. foreign policy. Dr. King’s moral vision and reach extended far beyond questions of war, peace, and racial injustice. He saw that true democracy could never be realized without economic justice for the poor. Along with our New Year’s resolution we need to make a strong commitment to help continue Dr. King’s struggle for social justice and human rights.
On Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, many newspapers still didn’t do justice to his legacy. They only acknowledged him as a great civil-rights leader, not mentioning the depth of his commitment to social justice and the complexity of his political convictions. And on TV we watched replays of his “I have a dream” speech but no footage of his more radical “Beyond Vietnam” speech of 1967. This holiday is becoming like others, with no sense of honoring the true meaning of the occasion. Only when we understand the full scope of King’s vision of equality and human rights can we appreciate his true legacy. The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was just the beginning for him. Dr. King was intelligent and conscientious enough to recognize and empathize with global injustices. He criticized corporate capitalism and interventionist U.S. foreign policy. Dr. King’s moral vision and reach extended far beyond questions of war, peace, and racial injustice. He saw that true democracy could never be realized without economic justice for the poor. Along with our New Year’s resolution we need to make a strong commitment to help continue Dr. King’s struggle for social justice and human rights.
Anita Quintanilla