For GregPalast.com
About 57 years ago Martin Luther King Jr took to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of a quarter of a million souls and told them that he had a dream.
He was speaking to an audience that had been beaten, arrested, and intimidated not to speak out for their rights as Americans. Their right to, their right to travel safely, their right to speak out, and of course their right to vote.
Many things have changed since then, thanks to King and so many others putting their bodies on the line. Many were taken along the way. King, Evers, Malcolm, Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner to sadly name only a few. The survivors of the movement would become leaders in Congress; Lewis, Cummings and Bond.
There’s a lot that was accomplished and in the last two decades and there’s been a lot that was stolen from us. Unfortunately, that included the crippling of the Voting Rights Act by the US Supreme Court.
King warned us, even then.
We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of Civil Rights, “When will you be satisfied?”
We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality… we cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote, and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
Are you satisfied with where we are right now? Are you satisfied with your rights? Are you satisfied with having to pray that your mail-in ballot will get there? Are you satisfied with waiting 5 hours in line to vote in the middle of a pandemic?
I didn’t think so. We journalists are here to inform you, maybe point you in the direction of the right answer but if you’re looking for a savior… Well, listen to Martin Luther King III at this year’s March on Washington.
So if you’re looking for a savior – get up and find a mirror.
Save your vote, don’t look for a leader to do it for you.
