[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 18, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S9]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             COMMEMORATING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

 Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, Dr. King was a light for America. At 
times, he was a searching, probing light in the dark, seeking to find 
the truth and expose it to all humanity. He spoke plainly and 
eloquently of the great injustices that were occurring during his time. 
He focused his spotlight on places like Selma, Atlanta, Birmingham, and 
Little Rock, places that were in such need of healing at that time. And 
he was often a stark, blinding light for many in this country who were 
unwilling to come to terms with the great evil represented in 
segregation, discrimination, and humiliation, all of which were fueled 
by hatred and ignorance.
  For so many people of his generation, Dr. King was the first light of 
the morning, awakening them from their naive slumber to confront great 
moral questions. He and all the champions of the civil rights movement 
are responsible for forcing America to look inward and recognize the 
sickness that plagued our Nation's soul. Supreme Court Justice Louis 
Brandeis once said that ``sunlight is the best disinfectant.'' Dr. King 
fully recognized the meaning of these words as he exposed our culture's 
illness to the light of day, eventually helping America begin to heal.
  He was also a guiding light, navigating the civil rights movement 
through largely uncharted waters, and helping a great many minority 
Americans come to the realization that they were all in the same boat. 
They were no longer alone in their struggle against oppression. Indeed, 
there were many at the time who cautioned against ``rocking the boat'' 
too much. But King's leadership proved to a weary and discouraged 
people that there was a great Promised Land at the end of their 
journey. The path he illuminated required the strongest of wills, and 
for that guiding light, we are all thankful.
  Since Dr. King's time, the American people have made great strides 
toward racial equality and the elimination of poverty, yet there still 
remains much to be accomplished. And in the spirit of Dr. King's life, 
our Nation must continue to turn the light inward and expose injustice. 
Dr. King's purpose in life did not end in his death, nor did it end in 
the court cases and legislation that have further expanded freedom and 
opportunity in America since that time. Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy 
is an undying light that serves as a constant reminder of the noblest 
cause to protect and promote liberty that our Nation began with its 
founding. His undying light also calls on us never to forget our 
humanity. Even a country founded on the highest moral principles can 
retreat into oppression and injustice in periods of darkness. For 
helping lead us out of the darkness, we honor Dr. King on this day, and 
we pledge to always remember the struggle that marches on.

                          ____________________