Martin Luther King Jnr on the 28th August 1963, at Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C made the iconic speech “I have a dream..
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed : “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal”
He was a peacemaker. He wanted a society based on freedom and justice. He was a striver for a cohesive society. His words resonate, today as much as they did in the 1960s.
In the 21st Century we are experiencing challenges to building cohesive societies. Though we have moved forward in many ways, the challenges are there.
In the USA , there is a Presidental election on the horizon. Yet the rhetoric from Donald Trump, is one of division. He wants to build walls, he is not speaking the politics of uniting communities. Where is the United in his USA ? – if he were to be elected as President, where is he striving for a cohesive country ?
Maybe he can explain his dreams of building strong communities where diversity is cherished, where his communities are open, inclusive. A President should be there to enable a nation to build a cohesive society, where people feel secure, included, always striving for a better world.
This was the message of Martin Luther King Jnr on this day over fifty years ago. About creating a world that was about cohesion. In order to be our best, we do this when we work together. Uniting society, not creating division.
Robert F Kennedy made a speech on the day that Martin Luther King died :
“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness, but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another….”
And that’s what our leaders should be striving for, building a cohesive society.
