Dear Colleagues:

Today is the day that we celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King stood for two important and fundamental values: nonviolence and equality.

Forty-two years after Dr. King was murdered, we are still a nation of inequality. People of color, women, gays, lesbians, and others are still treated as second-class citizens. Yes, things have changed but we have still not achieved equality among all humans. And nonhuman animals continue to be chattel property without any inherent value.

Forty-two years after Dr. King was murdered, we still see violence as the solution for every problem. We have still not yet learned that violence is the problem; it is not the solution to the problem.

We should take a few minutes to meditate today on the notions of equality and nonviolence. We should resolve to make Dr. King’s dream a reality. In the end, his dream is the only thing that will redeem our reality.

Gary L. Francione
©2010 Gary L. Francione

Related posts:

1. A Simple Thought for Martin Luther King Day
2. The “commonplace reality of producing livestock for consumption”
3. A Welfarist Dream Come True: The Animal Abuse Registry

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