Today, we honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. And, of what he represented. A dream that one day, this nation would celebrate the true meaning of its creed. That all human beings are created equal, regardless of race, color or creed.
There was a time when that dream...noble and profound as it is...would be considered as something akin to science fiction. Many might still see it as such.
But then, that is the true creed of America, is it not? Not equality at the end of life, perhaps, but certainly at the beginning of it. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
Do we still believe in the truth of those words, the meaning of which resonate through the words of Dr. King?
On the day we remember Dr. King's dream, how does the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave stand in the world?
Our democracy, once a shining beacon to the world, seems now to hang in the balance, fighting for its life. Not against foreign despots, but against our fellow Americans. Predominantly white Americans who waved Confederate and neo-Nazi flags as they stormed our nation's capitol and cried for the murder of elected officials.
That is how far we've come since Dr. King voiced his dream to cheering crowds so long ago?
That dream lives, in the hearts of many. But, hate lives in the hearts of many, too. Hate, despair, anger...and a desire to build walls, not bridges. To look only to ourselves, not to help those less fortunate. And, to see only the worst in those different from ourselves.
The dream of a better America, an idealized America seems more under siege at this juncture of history than ever before. With the presidency of Barak Obama, that dream seemed to advance a step further towards realization.
With the election of Donald Trump, the country took a horrifying step backward. Now, like a wanderer slowly regaining his direction, the country takes a step back towards hope, back towards idealism.
But, the road ahead is rocky and unsure. The journey along it may or may not succeed. But, the dream is the beacon that leads us in the right direction. That's what matters.
Dr. King promised a path to the Promised Land. The quest is long. But, the direction at the heart of the quest is what defines us.
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