Thursday, August 28, 2008
As I write this blog entry, our nation is on the cusp of history. A little more than two hours from now, Barack Obama will officially accept his party's nomination to be its candidate for President Of The United States of America. He is the first African-American to be the official candidate for president from either major political party. In recognition of this historic achievement, Obama's rival, Senator John McCain is even running a commercial tonight to congratulate him. A class act.
Today also happens to mark the 45th anniversary of one of the most remarkable speeches in American history: the famous "I Have A Dream" address given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Dr. King spoke of freedom for his people, owed to them by The Declaration of Independence which states that "all men are created equal." His speech was the highlight of the March On Washington, in which hundreds of thousands protested for equality and justice for all people. He spoke of his dream that one day his children and his children's children would be judged "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." This stunning speech may be found here in entirety.
The nomination of Barack Obama for president partially realizes Dr. King's dream. In the past 45 years, African-Americans have gone from Jim Crow laws, segregated lunch counters and drinking fountains to tonight's historical event. Many people both black and white have fought to achieve this moment. More than a few lives have been lost in the struggle.
Abraham Lincoln spoke of America as being the "last best hope of earth" in his 1862 message to Congress. He stated that by giving slaves their freedom, we assure freedom to the free. Dr. King took that a step farther and demanded "complete" freedom, equality, for his people.
Only time will reveal the outcome of this year's presidential race. But tonight we should all celebrate this momentous occasion in our nation's history. The dream lives on.