From James Beer Green County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 1 and Thomas Vale Green County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2
To the editor:
We are forwarding a statement from The American Bar Association concerning this year's national Law Day, on May 1. On behalf of lawyers and all those employed in the legal system, we hope everyone will take a few minutes to read the statement and reflect on this year's theme, "Realizing the Dream, Equality for All." We are truly fortunate to live in a country whose legal system grants equality to all citizens.
"The promise of equality under the law is what has made America a beacon to other nations. It is a pledge clearly set forth in the Declaration of Independence and in the opening words of the Preamble of the Constitution, 'We the People.' It is, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, the proposition to which our nation is dedicated.
"The year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1963, during the proclamation's centennial, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and called upon our nation to live up to the great promise, enshrined in its founding documents, of equality for all. Five decades later, the inspirational words of Rev. Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech continue to resonate and challenge us to live up to our national ideal of equality under the law. The legacy of the Civil Rights Movement can be seen in the strides that have been made against discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation.
"Law Day, May 1, will provide an opportunity to explore the movement for civil and human rights in America and the impact it has had in promoting the ideal of equality under the law. It will provide a forum for reflecting on the work that remains to be done in rectifying injustice, eliminating all forms of discrimination, and putting an end to human trafficking and other violations of our basic human rights. As Rev. Dr. King pointed out in his letter from a Birmingham Jail, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'"
To the editor:
We are forwarding a statement from The American Bar Association concerning this year's national Law Day, on May 1. On behalf of lawyers and all those employed in the legal system, we hope everyone will take a few minutes to read the statement and reflect on this year's theme, "Realizing the Dream, Equality for All." We are truly fortunate to live in a country whose legal system grants equality to all citizens.
"The promise of equality under the law is what has made America a beacon to other nations. It is a pledge clearly set forth in the Declaration of Independence and in the opening words of the Preamble of the Constitution, 'We the People.' It is, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, the proposition to which our nation is dedicated.
"The year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1963, during the proclamation's centennial, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and called upon our nation to live up to the great promise, enshrined in its founding documents, of equality for all. Five decades later, the inspirational words of Rev. Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech continue to resonate and challenge us to live up to our national ideal of equality under the law. The legacy of the Civil Rights Movement can be seen in the strides that have been made against discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation.
"Law Day, May 1, will provide an opportunity to explore the movement for civil and human rights in America and the impact it has had in promoting the ideal of equality under the law. It will provide a forum for reflecting on the work that remains to be done in rectifying injustice, eliminating all forms of discrimination, and putting an end to human trafficking and other violations of our basic human rights. As Rev. Dr. King pointed out in his letter from a Birmingham Jail, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'"
