“I have a dream.” With a single phrase, Martin Luther King, Jr. joined Jefferson and Lincoln in the ranks of men who have shaped modern America. The speech, of the same name, was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address. The public speech delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, happened during the March on Washington in which he called for an end to racism in the United States.
Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation which freed millions of slaves, the speech was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.
On the popular blog site Cheezburger.com, there is a post forwarded from Sarah Palin. The post begins wishing everyone a “Happy MLK, Jr. Day!” then continues onto share with her readers an excerpt for Dr. king’s famous “I have a dream” speech. Palin the continues in her posting on Facebook to write that, “Mr. President, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all who commit to ending any racial divide, no more playing the race card.”
So, being the good patriot that she is, Sarah Palin decided to pick Martin Luther King Day to criticize the president. Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase that refers to exploitation of either racist or anti-racist attitudes by accusing others of racism.
“There’s no doubt that there are some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black president,” Obama told The New Yorker in its January 27 publication.
“I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream . . .” For employment opportunities at the New Yorker, click here.
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