A GREAT LEADER

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WAS AN INSPIRED AND INSPIRING LEADER. HIS DECENCY IN THE PUBLIC FORUM, HIS UPLIFTING VISION AND HIS PASSIONATE RHETORIC ABOUT EQUALITY IN OUR SOCIETY ECHOED IN HIS LIFE. HIS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES WERE ELEGANTLY CRAFTED FROM DEEP, REASONED THOUGHTS. MR. KING'S CITY OF BIRMINGHAM IN 1963 WAS PERCHED UPON A HILL OF PREJUDICIAL SEGREGATION - AS WAS MOST OF THE SOUTH. BUT HE DID NOT ABANDON HOPE. HE PERSISTED IN THE STRUGGLE FOR A SHINING CITY ON THE HILL IMAGINED BY ONE OF OUR FIRST PILGRIMS, JOHN WINTHROP OF MASSACUSETTS, AND CELEBRATED BY OUR NOW DECEASED, FORMER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN. BUT NO STRUGGLE IS WON QUICKLY. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S, NO EXCEPTION. I AM REMINDED OF ANOTHER BLACK AMERICAN HERO, WILMA RUDOLPH, WINNER OF 3 GOLD MEDALS AT THE OLYMPICS AND CALLED THE "FASTEST WOMAN... ON EARTH" IN 1960. HER DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD, HER STRUGGLE FOR EXCELLENCE, HER TRIUMPH OVER LIFE'S UNFAIRNESS REMIND US OF THE SIMILAR UPHILL BATTLE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S "LETTER FROM THE BIRMINGHAM JAIL" WAS ADDRESSED TO THE CLERGYMEN OF HIS CITY IN 1963, ENTREATING THEM TO DO THEIR DUTY AND NOT SUPPORT SEGREGATION BY THEIR SILENCE. THE WHOLE OF AMERICA (AND MUCH OF THE WORLD), WOULD EVENTUALLY HEAR OR READ THE THOUSANDS OF WORDS IN HIS AWESOME LETTER. FOR EXAMPLE, HE PENNED THAT IT WAS A TIME, "WHEN THE CUP OF ENDURANCE RUNS OVER, AND MEN ARE NO LONGER WILLING TO BE PLUNGED INTO THE ABYSS OF DESPAIR." HE EXTENSIVELY REFLECTED NOT ONLY UPON THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY, BUT ALSO ON A DREAM OF A BETTER TOMORROW.

MS. RUDOLPH, MR. KING AND I HAVE SIGNIFICANT DATES IN COMMON. THE CHAMPION RUNNER WAS BORN IN THE SAME YEAR AS I, BUT SADLY, SHE IS GONE. THE GREAT LEADER WAS IN JAIL, UNHAPPILY, IN THE SAME YEAR OF MY GREATEST HAPPINESS, MY MARRIAGE. HE IS GONE TOO. BUT WHAT WILMA RUDOLPH AND MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. LIVED AND DREAMED AND WHAT I AND OTHER AMERICANS TAKE WITH US AS WE GO FORWARD, IS THAT VISION OF AMERICA THAT MR. KING SO ELOQUENTLY DESCRIBED FROM HIS BIRMINGHAM JAIL CELL. HE DREAMED OF A DAY WHEN AMERICA FOLLOWED "THE SACRED VALUES IN OUR JUDEO-CHRISTIAN HERITAGE, THEREBY BRINGING OUR NATION BACK TO THOSE GREAT WELLS OF DEMOCRACY WHICH WERE DUG DEEP BY THE FOUNDING FATHERS."

LET US TOAST WITH A COOL DRINK TODAY, TO A GREAT MAN.