Dear Editor,
Every year, on the third Monday in January, we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This federal holiday is “designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer and improve their communities.” Dr. King’s legacy challenges us to hold ourselves accountable to a fundamental commitment to work toward equality and a better life for all citizens.
This year, MLK Day coincided with the inauguration of Donald John Trump as the 47th president of the United States. Many view that day as a pivotal moment for democracy. The day began with President Joe Biden receiving his final briefing in the Oval Office, capping a fifty-year political career.
President-elect Trump and his wife began the day by attending a 9 a.m. service at St. John’s Church. They then rode to the White House for a traditional tea hosted by the Bidens. The four of them then rode together to the Capitol, where Trump took the oath of office administered by the chief justice. Former Vice President Mike Pence called it “a day to celebrate our democracy.”
Since his victory in November’s election, marking his return to the presidency, I would like to think Mr. Trump has taken time to reflect on the significance of his reelection and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Perhaps, much like his acknowledgment and expressed belief in a divine intervention that spared him from an intended assassin’s bullet, Mr. Trump might also recognize a related significance of his inauguration coinciding with the federal recognition of Dr. King.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day allows us to pause, reflect on our history, and respond to the challenge of serving one another through love for justice and brotherhood. The words of our founding fathers influenced Dr. King’s dream in the Declaration of Independence, which states that God endows all men with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Although our political divide is deep, hopefully, this can be countered when we genuinely have equality before the law, access to justice, democracy, and freedom, and everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Following an inauguration day full of pomp, circumstance, and scripted rhetoric, the question remains: Can President Trump deliver on Dr. King’s dream? Trump did say, “There is no dream we cannot achieve,” and “In America, the impossible is what we do best.”
Peter Wibell, Rutledge