Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr.

January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

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."

Martin Luther King Jr., I Have A Dream
Delivered August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday opens a very busy week. January 18 – 25th is the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 22 is the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, January 18-24 features a large number of pro-life activities and programs, culminating with Walk for Life West Coast on January 22 in San Francisco, and March for Life/Walk for Life January 23 in Washington, D.C.

I found it not so much of a coincidence that Martin Luther King Jr. Day would open such a controversial week. I wonder, if he were alive today, what would be his stance on the rights of the unborn? Not that anyone actually knows for sure, I did not have to look far to find an opinion.

Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., released the following comments today on the celebration of her Uncle’s life.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of a Beloved Community where all are treated with respect and dignity,” said Dr. King. “He fought against society’s exclusion of people who were treated as less than human because of their appearance. Today, we are compelled to continue Uncle Martin’s fight by standing up for those who are treated as less than human because of their helplessness and inconvenience.

“The unborn are as much a part of the Beloved Community as are newborns, infants, teenagers, adults, and the elderly. Too many of us speak of tolerance and inclusion, yet refuse to tolerate or include the weakest and most innocent among us in the human family. As we celebrate the life of Uncle Martin, let us renew our hearts and commit our lives to treating each other, whatever our race, status, or stage of life, as we would want to be treated. Let us let each other live.”

Dr. Alveda King, is also a National Spokeswoman for, Silent No More Awareness Campaign, a heroic effort to make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women, men, and their families, by exposing a holocaust that has been shrouded in secrecy and silence for too long. Reminding us of the words of her uncle, “The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.” She then challenges us to keep her uncle’s “Dream” alive. “How can the “Dream” survive if we murder the children? Every aborted baby is like a slave in the womb of his or her mother. The mother decides his or her fate.”

In the following statement given on her birthday (coincidence, those who know me know that I would rather refer to this as a CHRIST-incident) on the steps of the Supreme Court, January 22, 2008, Dr. Alveda King continues to carry on in her uncle’s footsteps so 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."”

In celebration of the life and dream of Martin Luther King, Jr.