THE “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never sounded more real, more poignant and meaningful for us, citizens of our beloved adoptive country the United States of America.
The past four years had been like a nightmare that has made many people almost lose faith in America.
But on January 20, 2021, we wake up to the dawning of a new day. From out of the rubbles and ashes of the Trump presidency, the soul of America has seen its rebirth, because we chose to rise with faith over fear, love over hate, light over darkness, empathy over apathy, and decisive action over learned helplessness.
We dared choose to use the power of our vote and our trust in every American to make the right choice and take the right path toward healing, unity, and a better, brighter, stronger Union and that day in America sees its renaissance at noontime of January 20, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn into office as our duly elected President and Vice President of the United States, respectively. We did so because somehow, somewhere in our heart and soul, we still dare to dream on and believe…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we all will see the goodness in the hearts of our fellow Americans, regardless of their political party affiliations, holding on to the faith that we all love our beloved country and only want the best for our people in this generation and in the next generations to come…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we shall all again live in one universe, embracing the same truth and facts no matter how painful and inconvenient, but it will be a good start toward our collective effort in making our wrongs right, and in rebuilding our nation together standing on a strong solid foundation…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we shall again see the sacred value of each and every American, appreciating our uniqueness intrinsic in our differences in skin color, ethnicity, culture, life story, faith, gender, age, talents, expertise — yet unified by that one collective goal — to give all we’ve got to enrich and strengthen the United States of America, the nation that immigrants like all of us build…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, this goal will make us realize that what we share in common is far stronger and more powerful than what divides us, and therefore, we shall again treat each other with respect and decency as we let our voices heard, exchange of differing perspectives, debate on policies and programs without having to doubt in the integrity of our leaders who we trust and know share the same faith in the strength of our unity and common purpose…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will again share the value of the life of every human being from womb to tomb, and use the God-given intelligence of our people, scientific knowledge and procedure to save lives especially in our war against the coronavirus pandemic, against the abuse of Mother Nature and our environment so we can pass on a healthy thriving planet to our children and grandchildren…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will all honor our solemn oath as citizens of the United States — to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that we will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that we take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and expect our leaders to fulfill their oath of office as a public servant as well, exercising our constitutional duty to make them accountable, in affirmation that in our democracy, nobody is above the law, not even the President of the United States of America…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, our electorate and our government will be a reflection of who we are, honoring our diversity in appointing and electing officials and public servants in the executive, legislative and judiciary that will be responsive to the needs and concerns of our people — especially those that are most vulnerable and marginalized throughout our nation’s history…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will again be investing in the American people, by allocating resources toward education, health care, science and technology, environmental protection, peace and order, a more vibrant and honest watchdog in our fourth estate — the news and information media — so that we can help foster and bring out the best in each one of us despite our differences, helping us all to be more informed and engaged citizens, inspiring and empowering us to give back and do our share to help create a more perfect Union…
I HAVE A DREAM that one day, the United States of America will again be a government of the people, for the people, by the people, and on January 20, 2021, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took their oaths, we have proven we still have the vision, the resolve and the commitment to make this come true…
So help us, God!
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at [email protected], or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
