Maybe there are no more heroes left in the world, but there’s no question that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one.  Few have done more to create positive change in this country, during any era.

There’s also no question that racism and bigotry remain embedded in these United States.  It may not be nearly as overt as it was a half-century prior, but megalomaniacs like Newt Gingrich are intelligent enough to couch their brand of racism in code.  That’s the true legacy of how they have spun political correctness:  Coded, shaded communication that hides the true agenda of those whose fear of change manifests itself in the most despicable ways possible.

BUT…there are a few hard-working angels out there and Julie Hansen, the Head of School at The Stevens School in Lyndon Center (on the Lyndon Institute campus) is one of them.  A true First Amendment School, in past years, their annual candlelight vigil to honour Dr. King was held an hour south, at Dartmouth College.  But this year, they decided to host their own, partly in response to the tremendous LACK of response to anti-Semitic graffiti discovered nearly a year ago.  Swastikas and the words “Die Jew” appeared on a building at a public park in early Spring and stayed there through the summer.  A young lady (the daughter of a dear friend) brought it our attention, we brought it to the attention of Amy Ash Nixon, a writer for the Caledonian Record (and another angel.)  There was a written response from several evangelical Christian pastors, not a peep from those who are resp0nsible for the running of the park, blather from the municipal administrator and grumbling from a chief of police who apparently had better things to do than investigate what even he acknowledged was a hate crime. Shame on all of them.

But kudos to the 100+ people, young and old, who showed up on a chilly January night to watch Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, share their thoughts and sing.

Yes, we’ve made great strides.  But there’s still…so much…to accomplish.  Don’t. Ever. Stop.