Martin Luther King Jr. and General Robert E. Lee: Champions of Peoples’ Rights

Today is the day that we celebrate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who fought for the rights of the African-Americans, so that everyone could share in the American dream. But Dr. King isn't the only man that we celebrate a day with; in Arkansas, and throughout much of the South, on the same day we celebrate MLK Jr. Day we also celebrate a day honoring a Confederate General who also fought for peoples' rights, General Robert E. Lee.

It might seem strange to some, comparing these two men, as most see Dr. King as a champion of African-American rights, while some believe, falsely, that General Lee fought for slavery. In their own way, each man fought for the same thing, just in a different manner and time period.

Dr. King fought for a world where people would "not be judged by the color of thier skin, but by the content of their character." He wanted freedom for all people, whether they are black, white, Latino or Asian. I walked today in the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, and while walking the route it dawned on me that Dr. King's "dream" has become our reality. There were people from all walks of life walking together, talking together, laughing together, and enjoying the day and occasion. This is what Dr. King fought and ultimately died for. 50 years ago, seeing all these people of different races walking together would have been unheard of. We have come a long way in 5o years, but the battle is not quite over yet. We must continue to fight to insure that all Americans, regardless of race have the same rights as everyone else.

General Lee fought for a different type of peoples' rights. While Dr. King fought for equal treatment for all people regardless of their race, General Lee fought for a person's right to stand up against an overbearing government. Contrary to what many believe and are taught, General Lee did not fight to get slavery, in fact he believed it was morally wrong. The only time he owned slaves personally was when his father-in-law died and left the slaves to him, under the condition that he freed all the slaves within five years, which he did. The reason he fought for the South, is because he had a deep love for his home state of Virginia and the rights of the people and the State to stand up against a government that had taken to much power. This is something we still face today, we have a Federal government that is trying to take too much power for themselves, and at the same time taking away the rights granted to the People and the States under the 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution. We must continue General Lee's fight, not with guns and swords, but with getting involved in the political process and voting out the politicians that are trying to take away the peoples' rights and voting in people who know the boundaries of the Constitution and will protect the rights of the people.

Dr. King and General Lee were different men from different times, but with the same desires for the People. They wanted people to be free to live their lives: in Dr. King's case, without being judged by their race; and in General Lee's case, without the government taking away their rights. We must continue these brave mens' fights into the future and pass them on to future generations, because the fight for freedom is never really over. As your State Representative I will fight for your freedom on a daily basis and make sure that your rights as Americana citizens are never taken away. I want to hear more about your concerns about freedom and your rights, I invite you to contact me.