By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
Next week, the nation will once again pay homage to The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – the world renowned civil rights leader. It’s hard to imagine, but it has been 44 years since an assassin’s bullet tragically struck him down in Memphis ( Tennessee ), while advocating for worker’s rights for sanitation employees.
Much has changed in the time since Dr. King’s passing. However, it other respects, much has remained the same or, in certain respects, gotten worse. The racially-divisive rhetoric now being bandied about by the group of candidates seeking the GOP nomination provides a vivid illustration and begs the question: What would Dr. King do and say in light of the current political discourse and disconnect?
Many will argue that America has made tremendous strides in overcoming its racial prejudices and xenophobic mind-set. The election of Barack Obama and the appointment of Justice Sonia Sotomayor (a Latina ) to the highest court in the land seems to attest to this basic assertion.
True enough, certain individuals of color have succeeded in reaching (once believed) unattainable heights. However, for the vast majority of this same group, life in America remains difficult and blatantly unfair.
The economic divide continues to grow in this country. Wall Street fat cats command outrageous salaries and fringes benefits, while the average person’s salary dwarfs in comparison by nearly 400 percent. The tax code is structured to suit the rich and the wealth. The well-off can take solace in knowing that the more you make – the less you pay, and corporations are often exempt from having to pay their fair share in taxes.
If the presidential charade for the GOP nomination has proven anything, America has become exceedingly comfortable with its bigoted views and racial hang-ups. Both Newt Gingrich and Rich Santorum has recently expressed racially charged opinions concerning Black Americans, while the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, Mitt Romney, once made exorbitant sums as a corporate raider – firing working people.
Dr. King spent much of his life fighting for racial equality, battling for worker’s rights and advocating for economic fairness. If he were still alive, he would have much to do and say about the sad state of affairs in this country today.