Martin Luther King Holiday

Last Monday was a national holiday. The country celebrated the life and ideals of Martin Luther King Jr. His life is recognized as a symbol of justice and hope not only for blacks and other minorities but also for all of us.

The underprivileged can look forward in anticipation--some roadblocks have already been removed. He showed the nation as a whole that fairness in human affairs is the right course and that each of us can take a stand and hasten the day when the ideal becomes a reality.

This national holiday and the life it represents serves as a reminder of the progress we’ve made and the gap we need to bridge. It is a day that challenges all of us to relive a dream and recapture the clarity of vision that one man had for the nation--that we as a people recognize today what our Founding Fathers maintained long ago, “all men are created equal.”

This concept covers no new ground. Respect for human life does not depend on the whim and fancy of other men but, rather, it is a God-given component of life itself. Surely a premise so basic needs no spokesman. However, the history of mankind has proved otherwise.

Segregation in the hearts of men continues in this country long after its sanction by law has ended. Progress on this front (or the lack of it) can be measured by such factors as income/poverty levels and education, career, and social opportunities, etc. Experts can and do argue over the cause and meaning of these assessments. More difficult to gauge, but no less real, is the hatred and scorn for blacks and minorities that seems to remain entrenched in at least a substantial minority of Americans. The point is that we should not lose sight of the long road ahead by focusing on the distance we’ve covered.

The holiday presented an opportunity for progress because it tends to rekindle the spirit of reconciliation. Along these lines I believe that every level of government, in this state and elsewhere, should expressly recognize this national holiday. Characterizing it as an “optional” day off for public employees (as in San Diego County) tends to show lukewarm support, which is out of step with this spirit of reconciliation and opportunity that the holiday presents.

Observances of other national holidays pose no special burden for the public and observance of this holiday by other agencies has not proved to be unduly disruptive of day-to-day operations. Nor can observance of this day be seen as a “windfall” for public employees. The dates and number of holidays in any fiscal year are often the subject of negotiation between employers and employees in the public sector. Whatever the concerns of the parties include and the difficulties inherent in the bargaining process amount to, both sides should exercise enough leadership to reach an agreement on the observance of this day. Otherwise, we risk sending the wrong message about our priorities and we fail to take advantage of an opportunity to make a positive statement on our position as a people.

JOHN HUMPHREY

Carlsbad