If you didn’t have a chance to see the 50th Anniversary Remembrance of the March on Washington this afternoon, you might want to do yourself a favor and tune into the replay tonight on C-SPAN. I know, I know, C-Span Nick, do I even get that channel, or care about that channel? Well you do and you should tonight. Because 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. I’m sure you all heard snippets of it from school and others posting the speech today. His speech talks about how one day we will all live in a society where you are not judged by the color of your skin, but by the content of your character. Take a moment to watch the replay tonight, see what John Lewis had to go though, how President Clinton was inspired, what Dr. King’s children have to say 50 years later.
You might be asking, What does this have to do with me? You might have it pretty good, a decent wage at a good job, a home to walk into every evening. You even feel that your friends are doing alright, when we go to vote, there isn’t a problem, I didn’t even have to wait in line, you might say. Well, this could all change much faster than you think. So many fought, and died, so that there is a decent wage and job for you. You are able to get a home in any town you want. You can cast your vote very simply. This was not the case, just 50 years ago for so many.
You might not have ever been affected by any of these things, you might have been born without having to ever worry about any of this, but guess what, I’m sure you can think of one or two people who had to deal with these issues. And therein lies the problem. Every one of us needs to fight for each other’s rights until we can all live without the fear that something can be taken away from you or your friend, just because the Supreme Court made a decision, or because your state changed a law. That’s the only way we can move forward as a society.
Coretta King said that every generation needs to continue to fight, that we can’t become complacent. Are you going to fight for yourself, for your friends, for your neighbor? I know I am putting in the time, but as Dr. King said, I can’t get there alone. Whether it is segregation, discrimination, marriage equality, women’s rights, or something else, there is something that is affecting you or a friend. So let’s get out there and continue to fight for the dream together.
Fired Up! Ready To Go!
Nicholas DeVito 