Politics

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

By Speaker Pelosi

As we reflect on the contributions of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we recommit ourselves to his ideal of equality, which was the lifework of Dr. King and is both our nation?s heritage and our hope.

Dr. King wisely stated that ?a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.? He courageously became that consensus builder, stressing spirituality over strife, and unity over violence.

As a nation, we must be willing to mold consensus to combat injustices and inequalities of all shapes and sizes. We must be intolerant of economic, environmental and social disparities on all levels.

We must not rest in our efforts to create the America that Dr. King described ? a beloved community. The time is now to move our nation forward. As Dr. King said, ?the time is always right to do what is right.?

Full post as published by The Gavel on January 21, 2008 (boomark / email).