What MLK brought was a priceless and inspiring reminder to the Dream.
But along the way from the Founders to MLK, Frederick Douglas advanced the dream as a slave who was not allowed to read or write by law, but learned anyway. He went on to be influential in the thinking and leadership of several U.S. presidents, most notably Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln advanced the Dream by refusing to allow a divided nation, a new nation under God, to exist. It took a war and many lives but the Union survived and expanded from 13 states to the now 50 states of the United States of America, the greatest nation in the world.
Booker T. Washington also moved the Dream forward. Although he was also born into slavery and lived only 59 years, his impact on the importance of education for black people is still felt today. I would venture to say that there are more high schools in the U.S. named after BTW than any other historical personality, except maybe MLK.
And then there was MLK. He inspired a movement in America to finally eliminate legal resistance to the Founders' creed, which culminated with the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights of 1965. The brilliance of his leadership was the doctrine of non-violence.
Since that time, the Dream has advanced for some people individually, but it has stalled for way too many people, and especially black people. Those that have embraced the Dream for themselves and their families ran through the open doors of opportunity, while others clung to the rhetoric of victimization, waiting for the Department of Happy to open in Washington, D.C.
There is no Department of Happy! The Founders made it clear that it was and is about the pursuit of happiness, not a guarantee.
The Dream is successful when black people – and all people – can succeed in the pursuit of their American dream. But we are all hampered by too much government in our lives, and it is getting worse. We can stop it, but it will take an informed, involved and inspired electorate.
Some people want to blame it on the electoral process itself. But just as you can't blame a gun for a murder, you can't blame the system when people are corrupt, or stay home instead of getting out and making an informed vote.
The economy is stalled. Business expansion is stalled. There are fewer doors of opportunity for people who want to run through them. Median incomes are declining. Taxes and the national debt are increasing. Tensions between citizens and law enforcement officials are being stirred. Identity politics and political correctness are being used to divide all of us. Our moral values are under attack. Public trust in our collective federal government is declining, and too many people are discouraged and losing hope.
Consequently, the Dream is on hold for all of us.
The Dream is not dead. It's just stalled.
But! I firmly believe we can jump-start it again, as MLK did in his day, with informed voters, and inspiring leadership.
We can't do it with just one inspirational voice. We must all be the new dreamers, and the new doers in this nation under God.
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Herman Cain is a conservative radio host of CainTV, a 2012 GOP presidential primary candidate with over 40 years of experience in the private sector as an analyst for Coca-Cola, an executive at Pillsbury, a regional Vice President for Burger King, and CEO of Godfather's Pizza. Cain served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and a supervisory mathematician for the Dept. of the Navy.
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