Listen to this every year, read the words of the speech often, live life with an open heart and mind. Don't be content to go along just to get along. Challenge those who propagate inequality, injustice, hatred, and prejudice.
From Dr. King:
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I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. [Applause]
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
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 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 and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four 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.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Monday, January 21, 2008
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963. Washington, D.C.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Scariest Presidential Candidate in History
We all know they're out there. The white supremacists who preach an agenda of hate.
The one place we don't need a white supremacist is the White House. Why would Mike Huckabee want to address a known white supremacist group? Why does he propose to amend the Constitution of the United States to conform with what he calls God's Standards?
This is a scary thing America. We are a country that is richly diverse, and ultimately open to the plight of others in this country and the world over, so why would we ever entertain the idea of electing someone whose agenda is one of hate and fascist conformity?
Please see Huckabee for what he really is, the scariest presidential candidate in history.
Fascism, Misled Fanatacism and the Word of God
Recently I received the message described on Snopes about Barak Obama's religion. At first I read it and thought, "you've got to be kidding." Then over the next few days I stewed on it until I was sufficiently annoyed and pissed at the efforts to undermine and defame those who threaten the right-wing-Neo-Nazi agenda of promoting one religion for all (Christian) and the deep-seated racism still prevalent here in America.
So, I decided to spend some time crafting a response to every person who received that horrible message. I viewed it as hate speech. As I expected, soon after my message went out, I got an e-mail from someone who had received the message, calling me a fascist. Me? A fascist? Nothing could be further from the truth. I applaud, support, and love all equally, even those who so staunchly believe that their way is the only way. I pity them for being so narrow-minded.
For kicks and giggles, I thought I'd post what was said...
My initial message in response to the email described here.
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You may not know me, but I have received an email with your address in it. You are receiving this e-mail as a public service message.
Recently I received a message about Barak Obama in my email claiming to be about his family's Muslim background. The fact that it was so carelessly forwarded to me (multiple times) is practically criminal. The message is completely non-factual, inaccurate hate speech. It was NOT verified by Snopes as it claims. In fact, it is very carefully dissected and proven to be a complete lie. See http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp to read the truth.
To disseminate such written inaccuracies about another person is called libel, a form of defamation. To do so knowingly that the information is false is reckless disregard for the truth and exposes the person disseminating that information to liability.
Please don't judge a candidate for the most important job in our country by believing in lies, deception, and hate. Further, be careful of the information we forward to others.
Barak Obama is a Christian and has been a member of the United Church of Christ for more than twenty years, long before he was ever a politician. Keep that in mind when you vote, if such information is important to you.
Be a little more responsible when forwarding information about other people, you may just get sued.
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Here's what I got in response from someone in Columbus, Ohio:
"Like all leftists, Obama is no different from each of the other democrat presidential candidates. He is a liberal fascist bent on advancing the democrats' fascist agenda of destroying traditional christian religion and replacing it with a religion that worships the State as God. Your threats of litigation and attempt to intimidate others demonstrates that you too are a fascist. Ever hear of the first amendment?"
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And my response?
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 4:48 PM
How sad for you that first of all, you don't seem to know much about the United States Constitution or its amendments. Time to use that keyboard and mouse of yours to educate yourself about topics before you start name calling.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution includes the ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."), the FREE EXERCISE CLAUSE ("...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... "), AND the FREE SPEECH CLAUSE ("...or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..."). So I would posit the same question back to you, have YOU ever heard of the First Amendment? If so, then you'd know that it protects your "traditional [C]hristian religion" (you forgot to capitalize Christian) from the government making any law challenging your religion or for the government choosing to endorse any particular religion, even yours. Just because Christianity is the most prevalent organized religion in this country does not mean it will be garnered any special treatment by the government. In fact, you should be glad that the first amendment exists, because it protects your right to be your own form of fascist. It protects your right AND MINE to keep the GOVERNMENT from censoring our speech. It does not mean we get to defame each other by spreading information that is not true about others.
If defamatory speech causes someone harm, they can ask the courts to provide them with redress for such an injury to their reputation. My statement was not designed to intimidate anyone, although I suspect that your response indicates that you are intimidated about wronging others, otherwise you would not have read a threat into what I said and cast the first stone upon me.
Finally, as to calling me a fascist; thank you for demonstrating the very reason our country will elect someone like Barak Obama or Hillary Clinton. The right-wing hatred of tolerance will be the undoing of our great nation. If you had bothered to really learn anything about fascism or being fascist, then you would realize that the very agenda you stand for is itself fascist. A fascist is interested in intolerance of others that are not the same, for example, Christians who denigrate anyone who is not Christian.
Take a lesson from John 8:7, "...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..." or better yet, let Matthew 22:35-40 guide you:
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
So you see, on the commandment of God himself, the first commandment is to love God in your heart, soul and mind. All laws hang upon loving God and loving thy neighbor. If you took the time to read a thing or two about the Muslim religion, you would understand that Allah is just another word for God. It is a foreign word to you, but to Muslims, it still means GOD. Jews also believe in GOD. So how can you so forcefully sin by calling someone a fascist when that is exactly the way you acted toward me?
I don't wish you any ill-will. I will remember Luke 6:27-28: "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you." and pray for you.
God bless you. I hope you have the benevolence in your heart to understand and not judge.
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Here's his second response, again calling me a fascist!
On Jan 19, 2008 5:41 PM, XXXXXXXX wrote:
You need to learn history from about 1890 forward with regard to the the progressive movement here in America (led by Woodrow Wilson during WWI and Franklin Roosevelt during the New Deal and WWII) , the Italian Fascist Movement in Italy and German National Socialism. The methods, platforms, policies, and agenda of these movements are nearly identical. Take away the anti-semiticism of Nazism and you have the modern day U.S. democrat party platform, right down to environmentalism, abortion, euthanasia, organic foods, socialized medicine, nationalized industry, etc. Please check it out and confirm it for yourself. Your Obama and Hillary are first class totalitarians in the mold of Mussolini and Hitler (without the Holocaust). Ask yourself in what area of your life does either Hillary or Obama not have a government program designed to tell (command?) you how to live your life. Or stated otherwise, in what areas of your life would they say you have complete freedom to act without state interference, instruction or guidance. In the minds of liberal democrats there are NONE! Their vision of an all powerful state that tells its citizens how to think and act is the essence of a fascism. Modern day conservatives support the rule of law, free markets, traditional religion, limited government, private property rights, and freedom for everyone. Conservatism's history, intellectual foundations, and traditions are not remotely fascist, unlike those of democrat liberalism. If you were to bother learning about Nazi fascism, you would understand that fascism is a recurring phenomenon of the left, not right, and unfortunately for our country, liberal fascism is alive and well today. I am not "intolerant" of your views, nor do I "hate." I am simply saying that you are wrong. You are the one saying someone's "speech" is "practically criminal" and constitutes "hate speech." These are the words of a fascist.
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So I had to reply again to this misguided soul:
Jan 19, 2008 8:27 PM
You're missing the whole point and illustrating that you are exactly the type of person who is espousing the attitude you claim to be against.
DEFINITION: Totalitarian: adj. Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed.
All of these elements are closely aligned with the Republican right-wing agenda:
* Political authority exercises absolute and centralized control : Bush and his "Patriot Act," surveillance of American citizens, war, torture, lawlessness, corruption, censored speech, protest "zones" in violation of the First Amendment, violations of the UN Charter, violations of the Constitution
* Individual subordinate to the state: Big business tax cuts and kick backs (Haliburton), poorer working class, government stripping civil liberties, "big brother" tendencies against our individual freedoms, cessation of individual rights to choose, more money spent to fight a war than to educate our children
* Opposing political and cultural expression: protesters are not allowed to peacefully assemble near the president, homeland security, loss of habeas corpus rights for those who oppose the current administration, government destroying intelligence that does not support their war agenda
If you expect everyone to vote or be Christian ("traditional religion" as you said), you are saying that the government has the right to break its own laws by establishing one religion as the only religion acceptable for a US President. Since Democrats are supporters of a woman's right to choose, how does that dictate how an individual chooses to live their life? I will agree that environmentalism is a democratic platform, and a good one at that. By forcing big business to act more responsibly about the environment, we are protecting both our economy and individuals in the future. What is the problem with organic food? I guess you like being fed hormones and pesticides that will probably give us all cancer. Socialized medicine? What is medicare/medicaid? Why is it that the poorest people have a greater right to health care than the working, middle-class? Nationalized industry? What do you call airlines? I guess we don't have to regulate anything under the republican regime, so don't cry when your non-regulated, non-nationalized standards produce a car or airplane that kills one of your loved ones. Deregulation really helped that industry, just ask all those carriers who aren't in business any longer.
Do you think child labor laws are fascist? Probably. That's how we've protected those who cannot protect themselves. I guess that's a no-go for the republican agenda. A child is still an individual who has rights but true fascists wouldn't care about individual rights. Capitalism is what runs this country, a truly non-fascist ideology. Private property rights are a very capitalistic and individualistic theory that BOTH democrats and republicans support. The "takings" clause of the Fifth Amendment limits government's ability to take our property rights without just compensation. In a fascist government, no one gets to own property. It's pretty liberal for someone to own their own business and be their own boss, again, definitely non-fascist to be your own boss and profit from your own endeavors.
If conservatives support the rule of law, why then does the republican agenda continually violate the US Constitution by passing laws that are completely unconstitutional? Why did conservatives choose to ignore the UN?
Fascists oppose liberalism, individuality, independent thought...therefore "liberal fascism" is a complete oxymoron.
Hate speech is speech intended to incite prejudicial action against a person based upon their race or religion, among other factors. That message about Obama was exactly hate speech. If you go back and read what I wrote, I clearly stated it was the act of forwarding the message that was "practically criminal" which is my opinion and completely within my individual rights; exercising those rights is itself in no way fascist.
I am not wrong; you are completely misguided about the true meaning and teachings of fascism.
Consider the following Nazi propaganda and really ask yourself, which political party would say such a thing today?
From a 1943 Nazi pamphlet:
...liberalism taught that all people were equal, that there were no value differences between the races, that external differences (e.g., body type, skin color) were unimportant. Each person, regardless of race, might be a hero or a coward, an idealist or a materialist, creative or useless to society, militarily able, scientifically able, artistically gifted. The environment and education were the important elements that made men good and valuable. If one provided the proper environment and freed people from their chains, the peoples would join together to develop their abilities in a unified humanity, and eternal peace would result. Therefore liberalism demanded equality for all, the same opportunities for everyone, in particular the Jews, equality and freedom in the economic sphere, etc.
We Germans have seen where such doctrines lead. Liberalism tore down the structures that held races and peoples together, releasing the destructive drives. The result was economic chaos that led to millions of unemployed on the one side and the senseless luxury of economic jackals on the other. Liberalism destroyed the people's economic foundations, allowing the triumph of subhumans. They won the leading role in the political parties, the economy, the sciences, arts and press, hollowing out the nation from inside. The equality of all citizens, regardless of race, led to the mixing of Europeans with Jews, Negro, Mongols and so on, resulting in the decay and decline of the Aryan race.
Equality of all races is a very democratic philosophy. Individual accomplishment and speech are often seen as liberal, but the Nazis had a hate of liberalism.
I wish for everyone to be able to exercise the rights given to us by the Constitution. That includes you being able to believe what you believe and me to believe what I believe without calling each other fascists. If anything, democrats uphold the laws that keep government from trampling the liberties the framers of the Constitution sought to insure.
I am a liberal democrat and I don't see one area of my life that the democratic platform would seek to regulate, unlike the republican party which would tell me what to say, when to say it, accuse me of being a terrorist because I don't agree with the administration, hold me with no rights based on beliefs contrary to the government, infringe my privacy for no reason and tell me how and what to believe in.
The republican agenda has been control by fear. Fear of exercising our rights and thinking for ourselves to question authority (which again, is definitively NOT fascist).
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."
--Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg Trials
Essentially, what I am saying is that there's more than one view and to attack Barak Obama and spread lies about him is hate speech designed to strike fear into conservatives such as yourself. You are being controlled and don't even know enough to fight against it.
*Despite everything the bible teaches about helping the needy, "Christian Conservatives" will quote Jesus' words, "You always have the poor with you," as though Liberal efforts to alleviate poverty is a sin against God, when it is clear from the context that all Jesus was saying is "Don't use helping the poor - which I recommend all the time -- as a justification for condemning a good-hearted woman. (John 12:4-8)
*The true essence of Conservatism is the emotional as well as intellectual attachment to the policy of acquiring and protecting (or conserving) as much power, wealth and/or privilege for oneself and one's group as possible (and keeping others out), while the true essence of Liberalism is the opposite, the emotional as well as intellectual attachment to the policy of achieving as great a balance of power, wealth and/or privilege as possible among the individuals, groups and nations of the world. Which one seems fascist? Privilege for one's group, e.g, conservatives.
* quoting from http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/about/liberals-1.html
I want this book
I got an excerpt of Lee Iacocca's book "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" Since I believe in copyright, I won't reprint it here, rather link you to Google Books where you can read an excerpt. Skip ahead to page 3, "Had Enough?"
I agree with this man. I've certainly had enough of where our country is going. It's all reduced to sound bites and a beauty pageant. Personally I would have liked to see Dennis Kucinich get further in his campaign, but if he were tapped to be Obama's or Clinton's running mate, I dare to say I'd be willing to vote that ticket today. I'm probably making many enemies here in Georgia by coming clean about my political leanings, but hey, like assholes, we've all got opinions. My opinion is that middle class America is suffering. I am middle class America. Yes, I have an advanced education, but because I choose to work with and on behalf of children, I will remain middle class.
I've had enough of career politicians. I like Shirley Franklin, Mayor of Atlanta. She is getting ready to leave office soon with the next Mayoral Race in 2009. She has been in public office but Mayor was her first elected position in public office.
Going back to the Lee Iacocca book, perhaps what drew me to his book was his statement, "We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution." What has happened in our country with regard to all this talk of amending the constitution to be so EXclusive of rights is akin to local terrorism. The fact that we have Huckabee running for president and talking about amending the Constitution to meet God's standards, "[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards." PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE AMERICA - do not elect this man into office. Hearing talk like that about the Constitution of America scares me to my core. Gone will be the 1st Amendment. SCOTUS will be pillaged and filled with religious-agenda justices. Precedent will be raped, maimed and left for dead for cases protecting our civil liberties.
Huckabee can say what he wants, that's the beauty of this county. But I can make my statement too - I am outraged at the level to which our government is endorsing particular religious beliefs. Don't tell me what to believe. Don't tell me what GOD's standards are... you don't have the monopoly on what, who, or how God is or what the true meaning of spirituality actually is. The answer is that we each have a relationship with God of our own. I don't need someone to tell me how to believe in God. I don't want to live in a society that is full of divisive hate.
I got an e-mail from someone, forwarded blindly about Barak Obama. It make a lot of noise about his so-called Muslim background. It was sent by one of "God's crusaders" so to speak. I wanted to vomit. In no time in my life had I ever received such a piece of concentrated HATE SPEECH about someone. Those who cast judgment on others for not being of THEIR particular religious denomination and spread words of hate are criminal and not at all spiritual. How is that a loving and caring way to be?
Perhaps the most beautiful explanation of religion came from Obama's mother, as he wrote, "Religion was an expression of human culture, she would explain, not its wellspring, just one of the many ways - and not necessarily the best way - that man attempted to control the unknowable and understand the deeper truths about our lives."
I don't think I can be quiet about it any longer. In work circles, I respect my colleagues and their beliefs. Many of them are Christians. Many I don't know what their religious leanings may be. But many of them are good people, so for those reasons, I don't talk politics in relation to or around those I work with, it's better left to each person's own beliefs.
It's snowing today in Georgia... more on that later.
