In Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
By D. Frykman, LPHS Social Studies Teacher
January 15, 2010
There is a scene in the old Walt Disney movie "Johnny Tremain", where Johnny is serving "beverages" to a secret meeting of the Sons of Liberty. The question put before the group was, "Why should we fight for independence?" After some debate it was concluded that we should fight not only for the rights of Englishmen but for the rights of all people everywhere that longed for freedom from oppressive governments.
Martin Luther King, though obviously very visible and active in the civil rights movement for African-American, believed in that same philosophy. He truly believed, as we all should, the words of the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal, that all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Reverend King had a dream. He had a dream that one day "little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." He had a dream.
He had a dream that one day "my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." He had a dream.
Martin Luther King's life was cut short by an assassin’s bullet. 40 years later the responsibility must fall on the shoulders of each and every one of us. As a society we must not allow the Rev. King's life to have been in vain. Rev. King did not demonstrate for what was right for America. He demonstrated simply because it was right.
My prayer as we honor Martin Luther King is that we can all join him in singing that great Negro Spiritual, "Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty, I am free at last".
