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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2017)
January 11, 2017 The Skanner Page 5 Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Skanner News would like to Blackonomics: What is Constitutional Patriotism? The thank the following sponsors for By James Clingman NNPA News Wire Columnist M artin Luther King, Jr. said, “…we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnifi- cent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” He went on to say, “I have a dream that one day this na- tion will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.” It is said that we should carefully choose the words we use, because we may have to eat them one day. That is the case with words written by this nation’s founders. The only problem is, even though several have brought attention to those “ of throwing off the tyranny of King George. In reference to the Dec- laration, Walker stated, “Do you understand your own language? Compare your own language … extracted from your Declaration of Independence, with your cruel- ties and murders inflicted by your cruel and unmerciful fathers and yourselves on our fathers and on us — men who have never given your fathers or you the least prov- ocation!” Walker continued, particularly referring to the abuses of the King and the right and obligation of the colonies to throw off such govern- ment. “Hear your language fur- ther … I ask you candidly, [were] your sufferings under Great Brit- ain one hundredth part as cruel and tyrannical as you have ren- dered ours under you?” This Fourth [of ] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn words, little or nothing has been done to change or enforce their intent when it comes to Black peo- ple. The words to which I refer are found in the documents written by a cadre of men held in highest es- teem who supposedly had the best intentions for “all” other men in this country. David Walker’s Appeal, in 1829, turned the words of the Decla- ration of Independence back on those who celebrated the victory Later, Frederick Douglass cited the words of the Declara- tion and Constitution in his fa- mous speech in 1852, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Douglass said the Fourth of July was a day of celebration for White Americans but a day of mourning for slaves and former slaves like him, because they were reminded of the unfulfilled promise of equal liberty for all in the Declaration of Independence. “This Fourth [of ] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illu- minated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous an- thems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.” The words written and spoken by the founders of these United States were important, and I trust sincere, but sometimes in order to have accountability for the words people say, especially politicians’ words, they must be recanted and rewritten by those to whom those words apply. That is why the One Million Conscious Black Voters and Contributors will insist on verbal and written support of its political planks by any political candidate seeking our votes. When put together just right way, words can have serious, con- sequential effects on people. When Thomas Jefferson used words that attacked slavery in his draft of the Declaration of Independence he initiated the most intense debate among the delegates gathered at Philadelphia in the spring and early summer of 1776. Jefferson’s passage on slavery was the most important section removed from the final document. It was replaced with a more ambiguous passage about King George’s incitement of “domestic insurrections among us.” Congratulations to all Scholarship Recipients Aramark/Giacometti their support of the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Special Edition Aramark/Geocometti CARE Oregon City of Portland D. A. Davision Companies Energy Trust Enterprise Holding Family Care Home Forward Kaiser Permanente Macy’s METRO Multnomah County Oregon Episcopal School OHSU Oregon Lottery Pacific Power & Light Port of Portland Portland Community College Turner Construction U.S. Forest Service Region 6 UBER University of Oregon Vancouver Avenue Baptist church Volunteers of America Wells Fargo Self Enhancemnent, Inc.
