what tomorrow's federal holiday is about in the usa-feel free to delete

January 18, 2004

This is Luther King, Jr.'s speech in August of 1963; I was not there

as I was due in October with my second child--but my husband made the

journey, as did many of our friends. Dr. King did not mention Muslims, nor

Buddhists, Hindis, Shintoists, etc. on that day. But I have no doubt that were

he by some miracle alive today, he would have included them all, and by im

plication, intended to do so, though religion is not the point of this post.

But more than that, he also spoke for overworked " white " minors and

hispanic field worksers; he spoke for us all, even though we not be iden

tified as a minority. But, yet, think about it; the United States has the

dubious distinction of having discriminated severely against the Irish--

probably none of our ancestors was truly spared.

I am appreciative that tomorrow is a day dedicated to this man and, most

significantly, to this speech. Had he known of us with cystic fibrosis, I have

no doubt that he would have included us--and did intend to include all who

have ever experienced discrimination, even due to handicap or disability.

Love to all of us coping with cystic fibrosis, of all ethnicities, walks of

life,

belief systems, and, as we cannot have known him, we can read is words.

Thank you for reading this,

n Rojas

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