Congresswoman Lee Commemorates Birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
For Immediate Release
January 19, 2009
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, DC – Today, remembering Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement:
"Today, I am proud to join with all Americans as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As our nation commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us remember the legacy of the man who spread a message of peace and justice and challenged America to fulfill the true promise of Democracy. Dr. King's words still resonate today with unemployment and poverty on the rise and in a nation where millions live without access to a quality education or affordable healthcare, while we are still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"In his speech on Vietnam, Dr. King observed about the war in Vietnam's effect on the poor saying, 'then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such.'
"Just as Vietnam was an enemy of the poor, so too is the unnecessary immoral war in Iraq that has taken the lives of over 4,200 of our young brave and women, that has left tens of thousands with grave injuries and has cost our nation hundreds of billions of dollars. We must heed the wisdom of Dr. King by bringing our troops and military contractors home safely and quickly so that we might address the pressing economic needs right here at home, including the over 37 million Americans who live in poverty. We must also avoid a massive and dangerous escalation in Afghanistan that will only serve to cost this nation more in blood and treasure.
"Today, we stand on the historic eve of the inauguration of our 44th and first African American President, Barack Obama. Let us recommit to providing economic relief to the millions who are suffering across this country by addressing the root causes of poverty; providing support for education, job training, childcare, fair and affordable housing, universal healthcare and a living wage in an environmentally sound and sustainable Green Economy that provides opportunity for all.
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