Obama's Killing the Dream

I've been saying for months that I was going to rewrite Martin Luther King's famous I Have a Dream speech as given  now by President Obama as "I killed the Dream."  I printed the original out today at work so I could get started on it.  In reading the original text I felt disgusted at the direction things have gone and decided I couldn't really rewrite the speech without coming across as  horribly pessimistic and racist.

My hero as a child was Abraham Lincoln.  I've written about it.  I read every book I could about him because he freed the slaves.  I thought that was the best thing that had ever happened.  I still do.  I've learned a lot about slavery since then.  I learned that some blacks had slaves too which really shocked me.  I learned that slaves were regarded and treated differently in different places.  I learned that after the emancipation proclamation, blacks actually became quite powerful in the South as far as government was concerned and that led to all kinds of new problems.

My point is that I'm not horribly pessimistic or racist or naive either, for that matter.  Over the years of my adult life, I've had the opportunity that wasn't afforded me in my childhood hometown to get to know several black people in various capacities and found that they were no different than the white or brown people I've known. Some of them were good people, some of them were very good people and some of them were not. No giant surprise.

My thoughts about the "Dream" speech are this:  We are almost as far from judging people by their character as we were in the 60's.  Over the years the only idea we've had to combat the problem is that we need to bring some people down so others can rise.  We've used it to elevate women as well as minorities.  I don't understand the thinking behind it.   I don't think that is  what Martin Luther King wanted.  He wanted opportunity for those around him.   I don't think he'd be pleased with the outcome of many laws and statutes on the books today.  I don't think he'd want us counting people by the color of their skin for jobs or college or anything else any more than I do.  I don't think he'd want the same things that President Obama wants.  I hope he wouldn't  be in favor of ideas set forth by people like Jesse Jackson or Louis Farrakhan.  I hope he'd have a mix of black and white friends and I think they would be of all financial backgrounds.

I hope he wouldn't  be in favor of redistribution of wealth in this country.  I hope he'd be in favor of free market, because after all, he was an advocate for freedom; for people being able to make their own way, not for people being entitled to do nothing--black, white, or any shade of brown in between. 

This is what I'd like to think about the reverend doctor.  I didn't know him.  I can't really judge his character, only his legacy.  Here's my dream:  I dream for a better nation too; where we all contribute; where we all feel responsible; where everyone is equal in hope, ambition and opportunity.  I dream for a nation where sitting back and doing nothing won't create a better life experience than working and earning.