Today on this site (and no doubt in many other settings) there have been discussions about the Founding Fathers and their imperfections. Many view such men as Washington and Jefferson as hypocrites because they owned other human beings while at the same time espousing enlightened views about liberty and justice for "all men".
We acknowledge that the original Constitution was written for a very small percentage of the inhabitants of the Colonies: Those who were white, well off (land owners), literate, and over 21 years of age. With that in mind, I ask you to consider this:
In his "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963 the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., spoke these words:
"In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."
Saying, in effect, that the Founders laid the groundwork for a system of justice and equality that would eventually grow to apply to all peoples equally, regardless of their color, race, gender, class, faith, etc. That check bounced in 1963.
It’s been 45 years since Rev. King spoke those words, and it occurs to me to consider how far we’ve come and how far we still need to travel together to "cash this check" of Freedom and Justice. How much of the currency of Freedom and Justice does the United States have on deposit?
While I will happily admit that there have been some vastly important improvements in the last 232 years (such and Women’s Suffrage, the end of legal slavery, and improved access to the polls), we are still woefully short of funds.
Consider if you will:
There are still insufficient funds for racial equality. For instance, the Racist War on Drugs disproportionately targets people of color.
There are still insufficient funds for economic equality. Unemployment rates are also disproportionately high among minorities.
There are still insufficient funds to pay for equal access to quality health care for all.
There are still insufficient funds to guarantee that a woman will be paid the same money for doing the same work that a man does.
There are still insufficient funds to guarantee that women will be able to make their own health care choices about their own bodies.
There are still insufficient funds to guarantee "food security" for millions in our country.
There are still insufficient funds to insist that "our" government judge people by their actions rather than by their looks, color, name, or religion.
"The Justice Department is considering letting the FBI investigate Americans without any evidence of wrongdoing, relying instead on a terrorist profile that could single out Muslims, Arabs or other racial and ethnic groups."
(From CBS)
There are still insufficient funds to allow Gays and Lesbians to fully share in the rights and liberties afforded to heterosexuals. Note the thousands of laws from tax breaks, to inheritance rights, that disadvantage same-sex couples.
And I’m sure that’s not by any means an exhaustive list.
In that same speech, Dr. King went on to say:
"We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy."
So I urge you all on this, the day we celebrate as the anniversary of the beginning of our long march toward freedom and justice for all, to consider how far we have come. And think harder about how far we still have to go. And pledge to use the last full measure of your power to make sure that in November, we elect those who will continue to make significant deposits in our national account for Freedom, Justice, and True Equality for all.