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Archiver > WVWBTSVETS > 1999-01 > 0916672980


From: "Carlene M. Wojahn" <>
Subject: [WVWBTSVETS-L] [Fwd: [Fwd: Fwd: We Have a Dream!]]]
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 09:23:00 -0600


"Carlene M. Wojahn" wrote:

> Hi
>
> I just mailed this out on my list, and after looking at this, seems
> appropriate to you as well. I hope you don't mind this interruption.
>
> "Carlene M. Wojahn" wrote:
>
> > > This is from the "Outrage" list...
> > >
> > > WE HAVE A DREAM!
> > >
> > > We have a dream. Someday, in this great land of ours, people,
> > > including even lawyers and political activists, will come to
> > > believe character really does matter.
> > >
> > > We have a dream. We will no longer deify people who plagiarize their
> > > doctoral
> > > theses. If a man takes the title of Reverend, we'll expect him
> > > to honor at least a few of the Ten Commandments. If a married
> > > man competes with Hugh Hefner for sexual conquests, we won't feel
> > > compelled to listen to his moral wisdom.
> > >
> > > We have a dream. Someday, black churches in America will not be
> > > manipulated as institutional power bases by ambitious black men.
> > > We're starting to worry that the good reverends are using the
> > > Borgia Popes as their role models. We dream that the day will
> > > come when lawyers and politicians stop cynically using race as
> > > leverage to increase their wealth and power.
> > >
> > > We have a dream. Someday, quiet people leading lives of
> > > unheralded virtue and real productivity will be honored. Someday
> > > all people, black and white, will realize the real heroes aren't
> > > the ones giving speeches filled with bombastic rhetoric. Real
> > > heroes are quietly doing real work: building houses, writing
> > > software code, nursing the elderly, parenting the young -- the
> > > whole cornucopia of human endeavor that actually results in
> > > better lives for real people.
> > >
> > > We have a dream. Someday holidays will really matter, instead of
> > > serving as crass, meaningless tools of political correctness.
> > > People will actually give thanks on Thanksgiving. Christians
> > > will actually celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas. New
> > > Year's Day will mean something other than recovering from a
> > > hangover and watching football on the tube.
> > >
> > > We have a dream. Someday Americans will realize there's
> > > something perverse about the idea of devoting an equal amount of
> > > time, and supposedly reverence, to:
> > > - a single civil rights leader
> > > - all of America's presidents including founding fathers like
> > > George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
> > > - and the thousands of men and women who have died defending the
> > > United States in wartime.
> > >
> > > Yet we have one day for Presidents Day, one day for Memorial Day,
> > > and one day to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
> > >
> > > We have a dream. Although we're as sentimental as the next fool,
> > > we hope that someday we'll all realize early death does not
> > > qualify one for sainthood. Whether it be John F. Kennedy,
> > > Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, or Martin Luther
> > > King, dying young may be the road to legend, but hardly a
> > > guarantee that the life was worth remembering, much
> > > less celebrating.
> > >
> > > Our final dream is that the day will come in America when one can
> > > criticize black cultural icons without being labeled a racist.
> > > We call this the impossible dream.
> > >
> > > ---------------
> > >
> > > We first published this essay last year to mark the celebration
> > > of Martin Luther King Day. We plan on publishing it annually
> > > until America begins celebrating a Come-Back-to-your-Senses
> > > holiday.
> > >
> > > -------------------------------
> > >
> > > RAGEBACK!
> > >
> > > Tell us what you think about the celebration of MLK Day
> > > http://www.theoutrage.com/rageback/99-01-15.html#soundoff
> > >
> > > Read what others have to say:
> > > http://www.theoutrage.com/rageback/99-01-15.html#rage
> > >
> > > ************************
> > >
> > > QUOTE OF THE DAY!
> > >
> > > I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in
> > > a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin
> > > but by the content of their character.
> > >
> > > -- Martin Luther King (1929-68), speech in Washington, August 27,
> > > 1963
> > >
> > > -------------------------------------------
> > >
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> > > ----------------------------
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> > > unsubscribe your old mailing address and subscribe your new
> > > address. You can subscribe and unsubscribe at:
> > > http://www.athensnm.net/lists
> > >
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> > > used to sign up for the list.
> > >
> > > -

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