Tom Udall Statement: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, U.S. Representative Tom Udall (D,NM-01) released the following statement in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: 

"Eight years ago, John Lewis -- a great civil rights leader in the tradition of Dr. King -- invited me to visit Selma, Alabama, on the anniversary of that city's famous freedom march. Standing on that hallowed ground, I couldn't help but feel moved by all that leaders like Dr. King accomplished. But I was also reminded how much has been left undone.

"My father served in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations when this country broke nearly a century of silence and passed piece after piece of landmark civil rights legislation. My dad's main contribution to the movement was threatening to evict the Washington Redskins from their stadium unless they allowed black players. To this day, some Redskins fans will tell you my dad did more to keep the team competitive than any coach. I can still remember the hope in my dad's voice when he would talk about civil rights around the kitchen table. Dr. King made us all believe we could change the world.  And with his inspiration, we have.

"But Dr. King's vision remains unfulfilled.

"Dr. King fought for the right to dissent. High government officials, unrestrained by law, sent Dr. King tapes of his own phone calls in an effort to scare him into committing suicide. But he had the last word. Not only did he continue to speak out; his case led to laws that protected future generations from government abuses.

"And yet, this year, some politicians have called for weakening the laws that protect our liberties. They have worked to pass laws that will make it easier for future government officials to harass future Dr. Kings.

"Dr. King fought to protect the poor. He died while supporting a strike for sanitation workers, because he knew that no civil rights movement could be complete without securing the rights of workers. Yet today millions work full time and still live in poverty.  More than twenty percent of African Americans and 34 percent of Hispanic Americans lack health insurance. And our laws too often prevent workers from receiving the union representation they want and need.

"Finally, Dr. King fought to stop war and encourage international cooperation. Yet today our brave soldiers are bogged down in a war that never should have been waged.

"Dr. King achieved great things, and it is fitting that we honor him today and everyday. But he only brought us to the mountain top. We have not yet reached the Promised Land.

"As long as Americans fear that their liberties will be violated, we have not reached the Promised Land.

"As long as children die because they cannot afford to see a doctor, we have not reached the Promised Land.

"And as long as our leaders continue to pay for their policies with the blood of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians, we have not reached the Promised Land.

"As we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. let us continue that long march to freedom that he began so many years ago. Let us feel the "fierce urgency of now" and renew our commitment to that brighter world that Dr. King helped us imagine.

Editor's Notes:

Click for more on King and his legacy.

Rep. Tom Udall is running for the U.S. Senate in New Mexico. Click to visit his campaign website. You can read our coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico in our archive.