As we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we remember his commitment and mission to secure equal rights and freedom for all Americans.  This year, it seems particularly appropriate to recall Dr. King’s healing words as we are a divided nation.

“The Time is Always Right To Do Right.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When Dr. King spoke those words, he had just won the Nobel Peace Prize and was giving a speech titled “The Future of Integration.”  He repeated this quote almost verbatim in June 1965 at Oberlin’s commencement after imploring the graduates to remain diligent and active in the fight for equality.

Today, the King holiday serves multiple purposes: It honors the total legacy of King; focuses on the issue of civil rights; highlights the use of nonviolence to promote change; and calls people into public service. As the preeminent voice of the civil rights movement decades later, King’s eloquence and vision for a united America made him an icon. His powerful words – delivered through sermons, speeches and books – symbolize a utopia to which our nation always aspires.

We can take comfort in Dr. King’s message and mission. Our government is to be chosen and guided by “the people” and was specifically designed and not empowered to rule over and coerce our citizens. Embedded in each of us is that the heart of conservatism has always been grassroots movement…from the bottom up rather than from the top down.  While Democrats abuse King’s legacy seeking to mandate social change from the nation’s capital, Conservatives seek to empower communities to carry out these moral ends.  On this day, we reflect on the legacy of a man who issued a call to the conscience of our Nation and our world. Let us honor Dr. King by shining a bright light on the progress we’ve made over the last 55 years by working together to do what is right and the realization that more than ever that “We Need Each Other.”

Thank you.

Warmest Regards,

Marci McCarthy, Chairman

DeKalb County Republican Party
chairman@dekalbgop.org