http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/16/us/mlk-memorial/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
On August 28, 1963, over 200,000 civil rights supporters gathered in Washington, DC to listen to a speech by a influential and well-known man known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, supporters have once again gathered in DC, shortly after the 48 year anniversary of the "I Have A Dream" speech to remember, commemorate and honor a man who did so much for this country.
Though we have come a long way since the '60s, some say that there is still a lot of work to be done. Dr. King's son urges us to remember that although he paid "the ultimate price for our civil rights," we seem to have forgotten what his goal was; in his son's words, "we've lost our souls," referring directly to the racism and inequality that is still a part of our every day lives.
Unfortunately, the American people cannot allow this memorial dedication ceremony to be free of controversy. Some of King's most devout supporters, including Maya Angelou, claim that the quotes inscribed on the memorial have been altered, therefore making Dr. King seem more arrogant than he really was. Those who know him claim that he was a humble, down-to-earth man who has been misportrayed.
For example, the first quote on the memorial reads "I was a drum major for justice peace and righteousness." However, the original quote from Dr. King was "If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." According to Angelou, the removal of the word "if" makes a big difference in the meaning of the sentence.
I believe that as a nation we should just be proud that we are able to honor him in this way, instead of nit-picking at little issues.
Regardless, the outpouring of support for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today shows that America has not forgotten his message, and that we still have a dream in which our "nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
On August 28, 1963, over 200,000 civil rights supporters gathered in Washington, DC to listen to a speech by a influential and well-known man known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, supporters have once again gathered in DC, shortly after the 48 year anniversary of the "I Have A Dream" speech to remember, commemorate and honor a man who did so much for this country.
Though we have come a long way since the '60s, some say that there is still a lot of work to be done. Dr. King's son urges us to remember that although he paid "the ultimate price for our civil rights," we seem to have forgotten what his goal was; in his son's words, "we've lost our souls," referring directly to the racism and inequality that is still a part of our every day lives.
Unfortunately, the American people cannot allow this memorial dedication ceremony to be free of controversy. Some of King's most devout supporters, including Maya Angelou, claim that the quotes inscribed on the memorial have been altered, therefore making Dr. King seem more arrogant than he really was. Those who know him claim that he was a humble, down-to-earth man who has been misportrayed.
For example, the first quote on the memorial reads "I was a drum major for justice peace and righteousness." However, the original quote from Dr. King was "If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." According to Angelou, the removal of the word "if" makes a big difference in the meaning of the sentence.
I believe that as a nation we should just be proud that we are able to honor him in this way, instead of nit-picking at little issues.
Regardless, the outpouring of support for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today shows that America has not forgotten his message, and that we still have a dream in which our "nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
1 comment:
I agree with you. MLK was a great civil rights leader, and deserves to be honored. People also shouldn't be complaining about the memorial to him over a paraphrased quote that still carries essentially the same meaning.
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