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01/15/2007: "The Dream Remains"

History has a funny way of treating the past. Once memory fades, history tends to remember the best in a person, and let die their weaknesses. That's probably a good thing, particularly if the memory of the person were to threaten the message they brought.

I was nine years old whem Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated; I have no memory of the man or the times. I think for many who do remember him, their perceptions are colored by their upbringing - whites over here, blacks over there. Right or wrong, it's understandable. He was a very polarizing figure. But as time moves forward, the memory is less about the man and more about the message - and that's just how it should be.

Today we celebrate the national holiday that commemorates Dr. King's birthday. For many, today will be a day of service - a day on, rather than off - and I think that's a very positive thing. Another positive action is to go back and revisit Dr. King's incredible "I Have A Dream" speech; to me, it ranks right with Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" as the great pieces of American oratory. One line always sticks out to me as the ultimate message:

I have a dream that my four little 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.

Dr. King didn't want preferential or special treatment. He didn't want a handout for his people - just a hand. Given an equal opportunity, King had faith that his people could do the rest. Unfortunately, the hand isn't always there, and those who do receive it don't always use it wisely.

Remember the moment:

Progress has been made, but we still have far to go.