Almost a Dream

My brothers and sisters, forty six years ago I had a dream. A dream that saw black children and white children playing together in the streets. A dream that saw black coworkers and white coworkers coming together for the common good of a company. A dream that saw a country where any qualified man could become president, regardless of the color of his skin. And my friends, I have seen this dream nearly realized. On my train ride from Memphis to Montgomery, I passed a school. Outside that school I witnessed children playing together on the playground, completely ignorant of any racial difference. Out on the slide and on the swing sets, they are finally equals. Two attorneys were sitting behind me, discussing how they planned to become partners and open a law firm. Both were extremely gifted lawyers and had gone to the same law school. They were best friends. One of them was white, and the other was black. Two men, of completely different races, working together to achieve the American dream. With the election of President Obama, America now shows itself to be the true land of opportunity, where a man can achieve whatever he wishes, regardless of where his ancestors came from. After seeing these things my eyes began to tear. But there is also so far we have to go. Racism is still alive and well in many states across this great nation. Men, woman and children are still mistreated because of who they are even after we have come so far. But this discrimination is not always just because of race, but because of income, or sexual orientation. While a black man may be able to get a job doing whatever he wants, a gay couple will still be jeered at when they go out to a restaurant. Yes, my friends, things have improved in this country, but my dream will not be realized until we are rid of injustice as a whole!

*I am actually not sure if Dr. King would feel this way about homosexuals, as he was deeply religious. On the other hand he was also extremely liberal and accepting. I am not familiar enough with many of his texts to make a statement either way.