Colorado Opportunity Caucus Recognizes the Timely Importance of MLK Day and Preserving Dr. King’s Memory and Legacy
The members of the Colorado Opportunity Caucus have issued the following statement in recognition of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:
“The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and work is more relevant at this moment in our history than at perhaps any other time since his tragic assassination in 1968.
“We are witnessing a period of civil unrest in this country that bears a stark resemblance to the American Civil Rights Movement of the 20th Century. We see levels of violence deployed against our own citizens, evocative of the 1960s South. The streets of Minneapolis now stand in for the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The streets are once again running red with the blood of the innocent.
“Just 12 days ago, Renee Nicole Good, a native of our beloved Colorado, was shot and killed in the street, in front of her spouse, by an agent of our own federal government—not an agent defending themselves, but an agent who killed Renee simply because she was engaged in an act of civil protest. Because she stood up, peacefully and kindly, for people who are being oppressed.
“As tensions continue to escalate and the potential for violence increases, we need to embrace the spirit of Dr. King as he whispers to us from the past: ‘Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence.’
“On this day, we call upon our fellow Coloradans to rededicate ourselves, and each other, to the cause of nonviolent resistance, to rising up to protect without lowering ourselves to do harm. We fully support those who have taken to the streets to protect their friends and neighbors, co-workers and teammates, through non-violent and non-destructive acts of protest, documentation and solidarity.
“Together, we honor Dr. King’s legacy by raising ourselves a mile high above those who would keep us down. And, marching in his footsteps, we defend the lives, the liberty and the dignity of those in our communities who face peril for simply existing.
“Black lives matter. Immigrant lives matter. And the lives of those standing up to defend them matter. As Dr. King also said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’
“We wish you and your loved ones a reflective, empowering and peaceful MLK Day. May we all find strength for the future in the wisdom and the positive role model of this humble but great figure who continues to light our way to the Promised Land.”