Today, the nation honors civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. on the same day that it celebrates the inauguration of the first black President to his second term.
In Atlanta, GA, an annual service was held at the church where King preached. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the slain civil rights leader, was one of many to speak to the crowd. She stressed the legacy of peace and nonviolence, describing an incident where her father calmed an angry crowd in Montgomery, AL after their home was bombed. King urged the crowd to fight with love, not guns, an act that his daughter today called, “one of the bravest experiences of gun control that we’ve ever heard of in the history of our nation.”
For more on the service, read the Associated Press article entitled, “Nation honors MLK Jr. on day of Obama inauguration.”
In the wake of weapons-related incidents around the nation that have spawned a host of talks and legislative movements regarding increased gun control, it was interesting to see the emphasis placed upon MLK Jr.’s nonviolent approach.
