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Martin Luther King, III Praises Edwards For Leading The Fight For Economic Justice In America

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jsamuel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 10:13 PM
Original message
Martin Luther King, III Praises Edwards For Leading The Fight For Economic Justice In America
Edited on Mon Jan-21-08 10:36 PM by jsamuel
http://www.johnedwards.com/news/headlines/20080121-mlk3/
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Following a meeting at the King Center in Atlanta on the afternoon of Saturday, January 19th, 2008, Martin Luther King, III sent John Edwards a letter praising Edwards' commitment to fighting poverty and speaking out for those without a voice. King, the first son of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the President and CEO of Realizing the Dream, said his father was a fighter and urged Edwards to continue the fight for justice and equality. He also urged the other candidates to follow Edwards' lead.

"I am disturbed by how little attention the topic of economic justice has received during this campaign," wrote King. "I want to challenge all candidates to follow your lead, and speak up loudly and forcefully on the issue of economic justice in America.

"From our conversation yesterday, I know this is personal for you. I know you know what it means to come from nothing. I know you know what it means to get the opportunities you need to build a better life. And, I know you know that injustice is alive and well in America, because millions of people will never get the same opportunities you had.

"I believe that now, more than ever, we need a leader who wakes up every morning with the knowledge of that injustice in the forefront of their minds, and who knows that when we commit ourselves to a cause as a nation, we can make major strides in our own lifetimes."

The letter can be downloaded at: http://www.johnedwards.com/news/20080121-mlk-iii-letter.pdf. The full text of the letter is below:


January 20, 2008

The Honorable John R. Edwards
410 Market Street
Suite 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Dear Senator Edwards:

It was good meeting with you yesterday and discussing my father's legacy. On the day when the nation will honor my father, I wanted to follow up with a personal note.

There has been, and will continue to be, a lot of back and forth in the political arena over my father's legacy. It is a commentary on the breadth and depth of his impact that so many people want to claim his legacy. I am concerned that we do not blur the lines and obscure the truth about what he stood for: speaking up for justice for those who have no voice.

I appreciate that on the major issues of health care, the environment, and the economy, you have framed the issues for what they are - a struggle for justice. And, you have almost single-handedly made poverty an issue in this election.

You know as well as anyone that the 37 million people living in poverty have no voice in our system. They don't have lobbyists in Washington and they don't get to go to lunch with members of Congress. Speaking up for them is not politically convenient. But, it is the right thing to do.

I am disturbed by how little attention the topic of economic justice has received during this campaign. I want to challenge all candidates to follow your lead, and speak up loudly and forcefully on the issue of economic justice in America.

From our conversation yesterday, I know this is personal for you. I know you know what it means to come from nothing. I know you know what it means to get the opportunities you need to build a better life. And, I know you know that injustice is alive and well in America, because millions of people will never get the same opportunities you had.

I believe that now, more than ever, we need a leader who wakes up every morning with the knowledge of that injustice in the forefront of their minds, and who knows that when we commit ourselves to a cause as a nation, we can make major strides in our own lifetimes. My father was not driven by an illusory vision of a perfect society. He was driven by the certain knowledge that when people of good faith and strong principles commit to making things better, we can change hearts, we can change minds, and we can change lives.

So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits, who think this is a horserace, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter. As a friend and a believer in my father's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud.

Sincerely,

Martin L. King, III

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OzarkDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 10:14 PM
Response to Original message
1. Thanks!
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IndyOp Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 10:23 PM
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2. I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud.
Wow.
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stravu9 Donating Member (945 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 10:26 PM
Response to Original message
3. This Needs To Be
EVERYWHERE!
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emmadoggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 10:26 PM
Response to Original message
4. Nice!! K & R.
:thumbsup:
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NastyRiffraff Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 10:39 PM
Response to Original message
5. That's beautiful!
And he's right, on all counts, but focussing on what is boldend. "Keep going. Ignore the pundits." YES!

Oh, and K&R!
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ncliberal Donating Member (131 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 11:48 PM
Response to Original message
6. kick!
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avaistheone1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 11:51 PM
Response to Original message
7. Ispiring and heart-warming.
That's why we are supporting John Edwards too. He is a fighter for all people for economic justice in the most difficult time of corporate fascism in our country.
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DaLittle Kitty Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-21-08 11:52 PM
Response to Original message
8. K&R Beautiful!!!!!!!!! Just Gave another $100!
:)
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mnhtnbb Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-22-08 12:06 AM
Response to Original message
9. Edwards did a great job tonight. The adult on stage with the two bickering kids
What a marvelously encouraging letter. I hope it gets widely read in SC before the primary.
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onehandle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-22-08 07:12 AM
Response to Original message
10. Kick! nt
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snagglepuss Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-22-08 09:08 AM
Response to Original message
11. K & R
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jackson_dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-22-08 03:06 PM
Response to Original message
12. Sweet!
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