LAW FROM THE CENTER

Today, as we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., many of us step back for a minute and ask, What would Dr. King say about the state of our nation today? Obviously, his dream has not been fully realized. African Americans and other minorities still do not realize the American Dream with the success and frequency that whites do. Recognizing that, what would Dr. King suggest to be the way to help everyone realize that dream?

Well, maybe his widow, Coretta Scott King, might be able to help us with that. King's Widow Pleads for End to Acrimony. Speaking today at Dr. King's home church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Mrs. King had this to say about the present state of our national polity. "The noblest goal is not conquest of enemies but reconciliation with adversaries. We must remember in this election year that Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, we are all sisters and brothers." In this day of 5-4 court decisions, mudslinging and campaign-by-yellathon, perhaps we can glean some wisdom from Mrs. King. Would Dr. King express his discontent with the policies of President Bush by jeering and booing him during a wreath laying ceremony? (On King's actual birthday last week in Atlanta, hundreds had protested President Bush's visit to King's tomb, chanting, "Peace, not war; that's what Martin stood for.") Or instead, would he engage in more civil discourse, using the strength of his ideals instead of acrimony in his voice?

Remember today, that the greatest accomplishment of Dr. King was not bringing home the bacon for his interest group, but rather the strides he made in bringing us all together. His dream was that we could all live together peacefully, in harmony. Many times he communicated more through his silence than his speeches. Remember that next time you engage in our national discourse. Politics should resemble our highest aspirations, not a feeding trough for the hungriest from the left and right.