The imminent inauguration of Barack Obama adds a certain poignancy to the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Dr. King was indisputably a visionary man, and he was able to share that vision with many who then adopted it as their own. Decades have demonstrated how important and influential he was.
I am frustrated by the need of some in our society to make hasty judgements about public figures and their "place in history." I would be happy for Mr. Obama to be regarded, 40+ years hence, as a King-like figure. It is obviously premature to make those kind of comparisons now, yet they are made.
I wish him every good thing, and hope the road is smoother than it was for his predecessor.
As a side note, the Volokh Conspiracy remembers the birthday of a great Abolitionist and Libertarian theorist, Lysander Spooner. He helped lay the groundwork for reformers like Martin Luther King, Jr. We should revere him as well.
19 January 2009
A Special Day
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1 comment:
It has been a long journey for improvements on civil rights and equality, and with Obama being sworn in, the civil rights movement have come full circle since the “I have a dream speech”. I hope Obama can concentrate on increasing jobs, advancing education, and the decreasing of our dependence on fossil fuels.
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