“World peace through nonviolent means is neither absurd nor unattainable. All other methods have failed. Thus we must begin anew. Nonviolence is a good starting point. Those of us who believe in this method can be voices of reason, sanity, and understanding amid the voices of violence, hatred, and emotion. We can very well set a mood of peace out of which a system of peace can be built.”
----Martin Luther King, Jr., December 1964
On this day 40 years ago, the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ended tragically, but his voice was not silenced. Even as a little girl, I remember the inspiration I took from Dr. King that I did not understand fully until my adult years. I would later share those inspirations with my son while visiting the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis -- two generations removed from the tragedy of the Loraine Hotel. And yet, the messages remain timeless. Dr. King was not afraid to take on the important issues of the day. The forceful eloquence of Dr. King's voice and messages of peace, equality, social and economic justice challenge us today as they did in 1968.
In the four decades since Dr. King's untimely death, we acknowledge our progress as a nation even as we recognize the complexities and challenges we still confront -- inequalities that continue to exist in education and health care; the nation's deep involvement in war and regression from avenues of peace and diplomacy; economic stagnation for the poor and middle class.
It is time to renew Dr. King's commitment to peace, equality and social justice. Dr. King knew we could do better -- he challenged us to do better and that challenge remains. In Dr. King's words, it is time for the voices of "reason, sanity, and understanding" to rise up across this country, not only from the halls of Congress, but from concerned individuals who know we can and must do better. On this day, I am recommitting myself to the ideals and principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and I hope you will join me.
--Donna Edwards
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