Americans | M. E. Murray

Americans will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this coming Monday, January 20, 2020. The Library of Congress provides us with invaluable information about this great activist and reformer. Martin Luther King was born on Jan. 15, 1925 and died on April 4, 1968.

Martin Luther King Jr. was the most important voice of the American civil rights movement, which worked for equal rights for all. He was famous for using nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice, and he never got tired of trying to end segregation laws (laws that prevented blacks from entering certain places, such as restaurants, hotels, and public schools). He also did all he could to make people realize that “all men are created equal.” Because of his great work, in 1964 King received the Nobel Peace Prize — the youngest person ever to receive this high honor. King was also a Baptist minister. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was just 39 years old. His birthday is now observed as a national holiday on the third Monday in January.

September 11, 2001

Early that morning as I prepared breakfast, the phone rang. One of my husband’s friends called and told us to turn on the TV. That’s when we saw one of the Twin Towers engulfed by flames. I had trouble believing what I saw on TV. Within seconds, my husband and I, astonished, stared at the TV screen as a plane flew into the other tower, setting it ablaze. At that point, we realized that this occurrence was not an accident. It was intentional. I never expected for our country, the land of the free, to experience terrorism. My husband was supposed to go to Australia on a business trip that day; it got canceled. That nightmarish day is unforgettable! As the towers crumbled, Americans heroically risked their lives to help folks who were in trouble. Regrettably, many people died. Today and every day, their survivors need our prayers to cope with the loss of friends, spouses, and relatives. Please take a few minutes to pray for them.

September 11 marked the beginning of the recognition of our country’s vulnerability to terrorists. It was a sad day for Americans, yet, it made us stronger. God bless America!