Something to ponder...

...on MLK Day. The legislation creating the federal holiday was signed by Ronald Reagan. Which, if any, of the current Republican candidates would sign that bill?

I'm down for none of 'em, but it'd never get through the current House anyway.

Enjoy the day, remember the reason, and if you're off and hereabouts, drop by the perfect tavern and say howdy.

Even on MLK Day…

…we should remember that as potent a symbol and as powerful a spokesman as he might have been for peace, civil rights and economic justice as Martin Luther King. Jr. may have been, he was a symbol and a spokesman for something larger than any individual.

In that spirit, my own personal State Senator, Maralyn Chase, has introduced Senate Bill 5174, under which…

...school districts are encouraged to prepare and conduct a program at least once a year to commemorate the history of civil rights in our nation, including providing an opportunity for students to learn about the personalities and convictions of heroes of the civil rights movement and the importance of the fundamental principle and promise of equality under our nation's Constitution.

People just a little younger than I am have no memory of the days when assassination and lynching, dogs and fire hoses, blazing crosses and terror were all commonplace aspects of race relations in America. Though we're not where we want to be or where we ought to be, we've come a long way from where we used to be in the realm of civil rights.

If future generations are allowed to forget where we've come from, and the sacrifices made to achieve the progress we've made, we not only dishonor those sacrifices and those who made them, but risk slipping backward and losing the precious gains we have made.

Thank you for SB 5174, Senator. You've made my MLK Day a bit more meaningful.

Random relevance?

I don't usually try to read too much into what pops up when I do these, but the first track this week seems a fitting kick off to the MLK holiday weekend. Nice sprinkling of more contemporary (by my standards, at least) stuff, too...

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Friendship Train
The Flying Burrito Brothers - Sin City
Emmylou Harris - Roses In The Snow
Carbon Leaf - Raise The Roof
Johnny Cash - Redemption Day
Blind Corn Liquor Pickers - Once In A Lifetime
Yo La Tengo - If It's True
The Stone Poneys - Different Drum
The Grateful Dead - When I Paint My Masterpiece
The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday

There was a union maid, who never was afraid...

Cincinatti child care provider Ella Hopkins...

Every time we hear unions put down, we should hold our heads up. Dr. King did, and so must we.

Happy MLK Day!

It's suggested that the best way to observe the holiday is to perform some act of service in honor of the man and his mission. Since it's not a holiday for me, I'll be serving food and beverage at the perfect tavern. Double shift. C'mon down if you're off and nearby.

If you're in Massachusetts, do your service tomorrow by voting for the preservation of the Democratic agenda, whether or not you have reservations about the candidate that agenda is vested in.

See ya' later...

I hope they're right...

WASHINGTON (CNN) — More than two-thirds of African-Americans believe Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision for race relations has been fulfilled, a CNN poll found — a figure up sharply from a survey in early 2008.

...but I still have my doubts.

On the other hand, I admit that a year ago today I didn't imagine tomorrow would be possible. Whether the dream is fulfilled or not, the fact that I was wrong makes this the happiest MLK Day of 'em all.

'Course, I still have to go to work, but I'm not even going to grumble about it.