2007 house journal index of days - Maryland General Assembly

Jan. 15, 2007 Maryland House of Delegates 41
“Our scientific powers have outrun our spiritual powers; we have guided missiles and
mis-guided men.”
Dr. King said:
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice.”
Dr. King said:
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and
inhumane.”
Dr. King said:
“The greatest sin of our time is not the few who have destroyed but the vast majority who
sat idly by.”
And,
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our
friends.”
My friends, I no longer wonder what Dr. King – a man of courageous actions and
penetrating words – would think of this holiday, this world, us.
A wise person once said that if you take your goals and subtract your doubts and
fears, you are left with your reality. In Baltimore, the reality is that 76% of African-
American boys will not finish high school, the reality is that it’s still easier to get a gun
on the street than a quality education in the classroom. The reality is our children test last
in the state, and our state listens to the needs of our children last. So, I ask, what are we
afraid of? What are we waiting for?
When will justice come to all of Maryland? When will justice come to Baltimore?
When will a quality education be treated as a fundamental right? When will those we
elect to run our cities and states focus on finishing the job they have, before seeking the
next opportunity? When will we truly honor the legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.?
We can all honor Dr. King’s legacy by making this day of observance – a National
Day of Service. My father, Walter P. Carter, believed that. He practiced a purposeful life
in pursuit of justice. In 1965, as President of CORE, through direct action, he desegrated
hotels and restaurants, in Maryland, from Baltimore City to Ocean City. In 1971, his last
words, spoken in a speech on the day of his death were: “I will commit the rest of my life