An excerpt from the PBS documentary Eyes on the Prize (1987) summarizes the Selma-Montgomery march, a landmark in the civil rights movement, which occurred fifty years ago today:
Sadly, we are still waiting for liberty and justice for all in the Heart of Dixie - but surely they will come, before too long.
But you know, human beings are funny creatures - everyone wants liberation and happiness for their group, but even when they get it that doesn't necessarily translate into support for other groups. Here's a letter from a black Alabama pastor who declares his vehement opposition to gay marriage, which he calls "not a civil right but a right to sin."
Update, 6:55 p.m.: Today, President Obama flew to Selma to commemorate the march, reminding us that "our work is never done" in advancing civil rights - there's a shout-out to the gays in here:
And at the height of the President's dramatic speech, he expatiates on "who Americans are" - this is a speech for the ages, and I defy any of my truckbuddies to listen to this part, beginning at the 5:30 mark, without a tear in their eyes. Yes, he includes the gays again, but it's about much more than that:
Full text of the President's remarks here.
2 comments:
I was very moved by the photo of the president with Congressman Lewis at Selma in the NYTimes this past week.
Quite historic and thought-provoking.
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