Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech was an appeal for all people to focus on the collective attributes of mankind as a whole.
Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" with each character displaying various attributes about society as Dickens knew it. One of the characters was 'the ghost of Jacob Marley'. Marley had been Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner in life.
One Christmas Eve, the ghost of Marley appeared to Scrooge, mourning over his neglect of his fellow man. Scrooge replies, "you were always a good man in business...".
Marley's ghost moans loudly, "Business... Mankind was my business." As a result of Marley's lack of concern for mankind, he now must carry "the chains of his neglect for his fellow man" throughout the afterlife.
Dickens story makes it clear, for each person living on this earth, 'Mankind is Our Business...The common welfare of mankind; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, are our business.'
Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous 'I Have A Dream' speech on August 28, 1963, in Washington, DC. During that speech, he said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character". He went on to also say, "With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."
History was written that day, and with each passing day, it is having its effect.
As we observe this holiday let us recognize our common brotherhood, and with it the responsibility for the common welfare of mankind, so that we each can strive toward the goals of charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence to all.
