I
Have A Dream
“I
refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the
starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace
and brotherhood can never become a reality...I believe that unarmed
truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
Martin
Luther King, Jr.
I
am old enough to remember Martin Luther King's “I have a dream”
speech in 1963, and to have watched news clips of his marches and
sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations for equal rights. I also will
never forget the terrible year (1968) when he and Bobby Kennedy, two
of the finest leaders this country has ever produced, were gunned
down for their insistence that we uphold a constitution that states,
“all men are created equal.” Since then, 1.4 million people have
been killed by firearms in this country, and untold numbers on
battlefields abroad. Kind of makes you wonder whether we humans have
any hope of ever seeing King's dream come true, doesn't it?
Peace
and brotherhood will come to humanity when we truly realize and
accept that there is no us and them, there is only us. In the words
of King, “We may have come on different ships, but we're all in the
same boat now.” In 1963, he was speaking only of Americans. Today,
we're seeing that this is true for all humankind. Different stripes,
same tiger.
Like
King, I still have hope for peace and brotherhood among all people. I
believe we will become so tired of war, and death and destruction,
that we will work together to find a different way to solve our
problems. It may not happen in my lifetime, but if we are to continue
as a species, we will eventually have to stop killing one another,
and instead, have an honest conversation among equals. I pray for
that day.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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