Citing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” declaration that “now is the time to make real the promise of democracy,” D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray is taking the occasion of the opening of the national King memorial to plead for democracy for the District of Columbia.
That is, he’s asking District residents, local and national leaders, and other supporters of D.C. voting rights in Congress to demand them Tuesday. And he’s using social media to do it.
King’s “Dream” speech was delivered on Aug. 28, 1963 – the 48th anniversary of which will be celebrated with the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Sunday – so at 8:28 a.m. Tuesday – D.C. Residents Day at the memorial – he wants supporters of a D.C. vote to tweet or post on Facebook the message, “Dr. King said ‘now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.’ I demand full democracy for DC residents!
We are Americans who pay hundreds of millions of dollars a year in federal taxes -- just like others who do enjoy voting rights; Americans who serve on federal juries -- just like others who enjoy voting rights; and Americans who send their sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters to fight America’s wars in far-away places -- wars authorized and funded by a Congress in which we have no vote.
King’s dream of democracy for all will remain unfulfilled as long as D.C. doesn’t have a voting member of Congress, Gray said.
His “social media march” will be followed with the DC Full Democracy Freedom Rally and March Saturday at Freedom Plaza.
