[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 52 (Thursday, April 3, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF DR. MARTIN 
                            LUTHER KING, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 1, 2008

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker. I rise today in honor and remembrance of 
the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today is the eve of the 40th 
anniversary of Dr. King's assassination in 1968.
  Dr. King is without question one of the greatest voices and most 
successful activists of our time. He spoke out against racial 
injustice, social inequality and economic prejudice on the domestic 
front. He promoted non-violence as the means with which to overcome the 
intolerance of society both at home and abroad.
  His was a voice that radiated humility in the face of great adversity 
and true danger. Dr. King believed silence to be a supreme betrayal and 
lead his life accordingly. It is not surprising that a man so great 
would then have a message so powerful that it still rings true today.
  His speeches and writings have held a timeless message over the forty 
years since his passing. They help to guide us as the complexities and 
struggles of modern society still infringe upon our right to life, 
liberty and the pursuit of happiness the world over. Madam Speaker, I 
would like to offer the following quote of Dr. King's as an example:
  ``We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are 
confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum 
of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. 
Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us 
standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity. The `tide in 
the affairs of men' does not remain at the flood; it ebbs. We may cry 
out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is deaf to 
every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue 
of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: `Too late'. 
There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our 
vigilance or our neglect. `The moving finger writes, and having writ 
moves on . . .' We still have a choice today; nonviolent coexistence or 
violent co-annihilation.''
  Dr. King acknowledged the interconnectedness of peace, equality and 
justice. Dr. King understood the personal responsibility that each of 
us must live up to so that we overcome, once and for all, the ills that 
plague and seek to separate us.
  The Reverend understood the urgency of time as we work to overcome 
our struggles. Dr. King left us his teachings so that all around the 
world we may one day engage in what he termed the ``beloved 
community.''
  I urge my colleagues to join me as we walk these halls of Congress as 
protectors of the American dream, to think about Dr. King's words as 
they apply to the business of today. Let us work for peace, let us put 
an end to racism, let us stop all social injustice and let us realize 
that today is the day, for tomorrow may he too late.

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