At great costs, Dr. King accepted the baton to help guide America through her growing pangs of correcting injustice. And with an abiding faith in the written ideals of her constituted principles, he superintended her development towards a national character strongly expressive of a philosophy reflective of brotherly love.
Today the legacy of Dr. King is celebrated throughout this great country and around the world. Monuments honoring the influence of his unselfish spirit on America’s conscience can be found throughout this nation; and each structure serves, in their respective communities, as a source of hope and inspiration, and an unwavering reminder that America’s heritage, forged by the blood, sweat, and tears of countless numbers of her white, black, brown, and red citizens, rests on the simple truth that Americans of all walks of life bring inestimable value to defining that unique tap rooted spirit which shapes and characterizes what is renowned today as American culture and ideals.
As America continued to grapple with fully aligning itself with the guiding ethos of its national creed, its turbulent transition from the repressive social laws and customs which had suppressed and alienated the rights of her darker citizenry, necessarily produced the Reverend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And it was Dr. King who would go on to play a pivotal role in bringing America to terms with the pervasive hypocrisy deeply ingrained in her domestic ideologies.
Without doubt, even now, in the new-found spirit of our being brothers and sisters, we still find ourselves today not exactly where we want to be – but surprised, rather, by our own self assessments, and ashamed of the outright discriminatory actions and behaviors of others. Dr. King said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
So, let our monuments stand upright and remind us to:
‘Let Justice Ring’ from the pine tree tops of Michigan onto it’s pristine Golf Courses.
‘Let justice Ring’ from the lighthouses and onto the shores of Lake Michigan
‘Let Justice Ring’ from the polished floors and partitions of our many hospitals and care centers, onto America’s corporate offices..
‘Let Justice Ring’ from the church-house to the halls of the schoolhouse, onto the courthouse.
‘Let Justice Ring’ from our City Halls and throughout the agricultural fields of the ‘Fruit-belt’ of Michigan.
‘Let Justice Ring’ until we can take stock of ourselves and truly look one other in the eyes and say, “Free at Last, Free At Last!”