History and Dreams

{ This is real time blogging, and sort of my poor mans therapy, just bear with me, its going to be a long day}

Forty Five years ago this morning, there was no one on the mall in Washington D.C.. and Bayard Rustin was worried. They were expecting thousands of people. This is pre cable, pre 24 hour new cycle, pre lots of things. Mr. Rustin did not know that there were so many people on their way to the Mall that traffic , in every direction , coming into D.C., was stopped. They got there a little bit later in the day, 300, 000+ strong. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez sang, Mahaila held court. John Lewis, (my Representative in the House for many years) gave a moving speech, but it's not the one people remember.
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood."

That day in Washington, forty five years ago, Barack Obama would not be allowed sit down in a restaurant and order a bowl of soup. Let's do that one again, FORTY FIVE years ago, within my life time, the man who will tonight, accept the Democratic Parties Nomination for President of the United States would be shown the back door of all the good hotels in  Washington.

Even the most jaded among kyle+blog readers has to be a little moved by this.  Most all the names and organizers of the March on Washington live/lived in Atlanta, I grew up hearing their names, NOT as history, but as men and women still working for the same things, still keeping their eyes on the prize. Andrew Young, Ralph David Abernathy, Hosea Williams, John Lewis on and on. It wasn't history so much for me as a beloved Mayor and a man that I got to vote for every two years.

The weight of all this, all this history, all this symbolism has to weigh heavy on Senator Obama. 

I am sitting here writing this, all full of love and hope and all that, c-span is on down stairs I can only hear it, can't see the tv. and they are talking about John Lewis as I write about him. He will be speaking tonight . They are also talking about Bernice King, who will also speak tonight in honor of her father. How quickly a mood can change, the ease of the blog.

 Bernice King is a rabid homophobe, who would deny ME the rights that her father fought and died for, rights that her mother fully supported.  fuck.. why Bernice? She is speaking of her father, along with her brother MLK III ( not the pretty one..). I wish she was not , but there you go....

I have a dream , too. Only it's Bernice King and her crowd and not Bull Connor and his that are in the way of my dream. This is not at all what I started out to write this morning. I guess, unlike Rev. Bernice King , I try and see the content of character and I believe that ALL Americans are created equal. Eyes on the Prize, Kyle. And, for those that might not know, that man , Bayard Rustin, the man worried about no one showing up that morning 45 years ago, the man that worked so hard and believed so much in the movement of Dr. King, was gay. Bernice would have seen him as less than a man. 

You know.. I don't care that Bernice is speaking tonight, I don't . She is a dinosaur, she is Strom Thurmond at the '48 Democratic Convention, a footnote  at best. And in no way indicative of tonight. Eyes on the Prize, tonight is about the future, but man, after the little kick in the teeth this morning, I sure would like to hear Senator Obama say a word tonight.... both Clintons did. Everyone has dreams.