Wednesday January 16, 2013

I believe that if Martin Luther King Jr. were still alive, he would be marching on the Mall in Washington D.C. on Jan. 26 for gun control.

He might start his speech with the inspiring words from his 1963 speech in Washington: "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.’" He would continue with something akin to this:

"I have a dream that all citizens of the United States will one day live equally in a country that is free from gun violence, that little children won’t have to be afraid to go to school, or a supermarket, or play in their yards or streets. I have a dream that drive by shooting’s will be an archaic term. I have a dream that homes, theaters, malls, churches, schools and restaurants -- no, all of the land -- will be free from the presence of assault weapons. No longer will wives be fearful of husbands with guns, or the elderly walk the streets in terror, nor gangs be armed with mightier firepower than the police. I have a dream that all politicians will keep their solemn oath to make their communities safer places, and that oath will drive their motivations. I have a dream that our country will be as free of guns as other developed countries, so we may be proud to speak of what we were able to accomplish -- by our shared dream."

I’ll be marching for gun

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control on the DC Mall on Jan. 26. I’ve invited Senators Warren and Kerry and Representative Neal to join me. Let’s show Congress that we know our country can be safer, and that we will no longer agree to live in fear. If you can’t come to the mall on the 26th, write a letter to your representatives telling them that you demand gun control.

Hope to see you there -- marching in the contingency from Massachusetts.

JEANNE MARKLIN

Williamstown