In America, our forefathers became discontent with British colonial rule and threw off the yoke of that nation, becoming a new nation formed from a small band of colonies. The founders of this new nation framed a Constitution which enumerated several rights that were considered "inalienable" to all men. Men fought and died to secure these rights for all time. Less than a hundred years after the United States gained its freedom from Britain, this new nation was engaged in a fight with itself that cost hundreds of thousands more American lives than did the first "revolution."
This second great war determined that our nation would no longer exist as a "half slave and half free" nation. Once again Americans fought and died for freedom, although two views of freedom were tested in this war. Ultimately the rights enjoyed by all (White) men were rightly acknowledged as belonging to the newly freed men and women as well. But the new freedom for Blacks did not last, or maybe it never really began.
Nearly one hundred years after the end of the "Civil War," Black men and women in America were still denied the free exercise of their rights. A leader emerged in Selma, Alabama...a man who would organize and lead the Black people of America in a fight for their rights and their freedom. As with all battles, men and women would die for the things in which they believed. Indeed, Martin Luther King, Jr., himself ultimately paid the supreme price for standing up and fighting for his beliefs.
I, like many people, look forward to a time in America where all men will truly "join hands" and realize we are all God's children. It may be that America still has a way to go before all men and women are truly equal and truly free. That being said, all Americans of all racial backgrounds are involved in another, and perhaps greater fight for freedom...a fight for freedom that is raging around the world, not just in these United States.
Our Constitution did not "give" us our rights, but merely stated that the rights we as humans ARE BORN WITH were INALIENABLE. I believe that today, in this very hour, all of us are involved in a war for our freedoms once again, and this war has three fronts. First, the war for freedom and equality in America continues, even in the face of improvements with each passing year.
Unfortunately we are also in a war with our very government, although this war is still as yet a cold war. Our government is, and has been for decades, peeling away the Constitution and the rights encoded there. From secret (now acknowledged) domestic spying programs to the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, our rights and protections have been trampled to a point that would not have been tolerated by the Founding Fathers back in 1776.
Finally, all free people AROUND THE WORLD are involved in a war with militant Muslims who are intent are bringing the world into their fold, one city and one nation at a time. We are told that only the "extremists" are blowing up things, killing women and "infidels," and in general bringing death and chaos around the world. The idea that only "extremists" are fighting against non-Muslims is comforting, but does not seem to ring all that true. For example, in the wake of the anti-Muslim cartoon in France, and the Muslim assassinations and uprisings that followed, we saw in nation after nation around the world HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Muslims taking to the streets in support of the deaths of those French cartoonists.
One of the freedoms all men have, and which is INALIENABLE, is freedom of religion, which means not only freedom to be Muslim, but freedom to be any other religion, or the freedom not to be religious at all. Another freedom, the freedom of speech, is inalienable as well, yet the Muslims are trying to squash freedom of speech around the world by assassinating those who express their opinions, including their disdain for Allah, if that is their opinion. Women have the same freedoms as men in a free world, yet the Muslims (not JUST the extremists) want to limit women's rights. In fact, many Muslims want to send women's rights back to the Patriarchal Age. And in a time when gay rights are finally being recognized, the Muslims would stone homosexuals, or even behead them.
Martin Luther King's work is still not completely finished, but I believe we have made a great deal of headway here in the United States. Yes, I am not blind, and I realize there is some way to go, but we are on the way. And now we have a war for freedom on THREE fronts: the war for equality for all men that is the legacy of Martin Luther King; the new war for freedom that is going now, pitting ALL citizens against the ever-growing, ever-strengthening Federal Government, and the World War for Freedom in which "extremist" Muslims are trying to force their way of life on all the world.
I hope you will join me in this three-cornered fight for freedom. First, I hope we can all join with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in the fight for equality for all Americans. Second, I hope that as more and more people realize that our own government is robbing us of our freedom, we will all hold our leaders responsible and demand that the Constitution once again be the law of the land and the measure against which all legislation and executive authority is measured. Finally, I hope that not only people in America, but people around the world will not cower in fear and give up freedom in the face of Muslim extremism and terrorism.
I am proud to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today, and to recognize that he is a true hero, and, in a sense, a Founding Father, in that he wanted not only to free Black people, but to make all people understand that no one can be truly free if any one is not free. And I am proud to honor Mr. King in the sacrifice he made, the ultimate sacrifice, in the name of Freedom.
I am also obliged to say on this important day, that freedom is not FREE, that men like our founding fathers, and like Martin Luther King, Jr., our soldiers, and even the innocent victims of Muslim extremism, all gave their lives in the fight...the continuing fight, for Freedom.
Rest In Peace, Mr. King...
And God Bless America
This second great war determined that our nation would no longer exist as a "half slave and half free" nation. Once again Americans fought and died for freedom, although two views of freedom were tested in this war. Ultimately the rights enjoyed by all (White) men were rightly acknowledged as belonging to the newly freed men and women as well. But the new freedom for Blacks did not last, or maybe it never really began.
Nearly one hundred years after the end of the "Civil War," Black men and women in America were still denied the free exercise of their rights. A leader emerged in Selma, Alabama...a man who would organize and lead the Black people of America in a fight for their rights and their freedom. As with all battles, men and women would die for the things in which they believed. Indeed, Martin Luther King, Jr., himself ultimately paid the supreme price for standing up and fighting for his beliefs.
I, like many people, look forward to a time in America where all men will truly "join hands" and realize we are all God's children. It may be that America still has a way to go before all men and women are truly equal and truly free. That being said, all Americans of all racial backgrounds are involved in another, and perhaps greater fight for freedom...a fight for freedom that is raging around the world, not just in these United States.
Our Constitution did not "give" us our rights, but merely stated that the rights we as humans ARE BORN WITH were INALIENABLE. I believe that today, in this very hour, all of us are involved in a war for our freedoms once again, and this war has three fronts. First, the war for freedom and equality in America continues, even in the face of improvements with each passing year.
Unfortunately we are also in a war with our very government, although this war is still as yet a cold war. Our government is, and has been for decades, peeling away the Constitution and the rights encoded there. From secret (now acknowledged) domestic spying programs to the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, our rights and protections have been trampled to a point that would not have been tolerated by the Founding Fathers back in 1776.
Finally, all free people AROUND THE WORLD are involved in a war with militant Muslims who are intent are bringing the world into their fold, one city and one nation at a time. We are told that only the "extremists" are blowing up things, killing women and "infidels," and in general bringing death and chaos around the world. The idea that only "extremists" are fighting against non-Muslims is comforting, but does not seem to ring all that true. For example, in the wake of the anti-Muslim cartoon in France, and the Muslim assassinations and uprisings that followed, we saw in nation after nation around the world HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Muslims taking to the streets in support of the deaths of those French cartoonists.
One of the freedoms all men have, and which is INALIENABLE, is freedom of religion, which means not only freedom to be Muslim, but freedom to be any other religion, or the freedom not to be religious at all. Another freedom, the freedom of speech, is inalienable as well, yet the Muslims are trying to squash freedom of speech around the world by assassinating those who express their opinions, including their disdain for Allah, if that is their opinion. Women have the same freedoms as men in a free world, yet the Muslims (not JUST the extremists) want to limit women's rights. In fact, many Muslims want to send women's rights back to the Patriarchal Age. And in a time when gay rights are finally being recognized, the Muslims would stone homosexuals, or even behead them.
Martin Luther King's work is still not completely finished, but I believe we have made a great deal of headway here in the United States. Yes, I am not blind, and I realize there is some way to go, but we are on the way. And now we have a war for freedom on THREE fronts: the war for equality for all men that is the legacy of Martin Luther King; the new war for freedom that is going now, pitting ALL citizens against the ever-growing, ever-strengthening Federal Government, and the World War for Freedom in which "extremist" Muslims are trying to force their way of life on all the world.
I hope you will join me in this three-cornered fight for freedom. First, I hope we can all join with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in the fight for equality for all Americans. Second, I hope that as more and more people realize that our own government is robbing us of our freedom, we will all hold our leaders responsible and demand that the Constitution once again be the law of the land and the measure against which all legislation and executive authority is measured. Finally, I hope that not only people in America, but people around the world will not cower in fear and give up freedom in the face of Muslim extremism and terrorism.
I am proud to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today, and to recognize that he is a true hero, and, in a sense, a Founding Father, in that he wanted not only to free Black people, but to make all people understand that no one can be truly free if any one is not free. And I am proud to honor Mr. King in the sacrifice he made, the ultimate sacrifice, in the name of Freedom.
I am also obliged to say on this important day, that freedom is not FREE, that men like our founding fathers, and like Martin Luther King, Jr., our soldiers, and even the innocent victims of Muslim extremism, all gave their lives in the fight...the continuing fight, for Freedom.
Rest In Peace, Mr. King...
And God Bless America
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