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.

                                                                                                                                              MLK, Jr.

April 4, 1968 the shot rang out in Memphis that ended the life of the leader of a movement that changed America profoundly.  It was a spring full of shock and horror.  Just 4 1/2 years before JFK was killed and 2 months after you, Bobby Kennedy was gunned down in kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in L.A.  Dr. King was only 39 years old.

To me Dr. King was a huge figure.  When I was younger I easily imagined being the ambassador to the UN, or a leading figure in a movement, but it was not to be.  Here was a man who, through strength of character and conviction, reshaped the history of racial relations in the U.S. with non-violent means (the only violence being inflicted upon him and his followers).

The nation honors him today along with one of his heirs, President Barack Obama, as he is inaugurated for the second term.  As Dr. King hoped, let us develop into a world where men are not judged by the color of their skin but by the character in their heart.

A final shout out to my father who died 25 years ago today.  He judged people by the content of their character and made a difference in the lives of many.  A life well lived.