[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

TENTH NATIONAL HOLIDAY HONORING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., CITY OF
ANDERSON, INDIANA

______

HON. DAVID M. McINTOSH

of indiana

in the house of representatives

Friday, February 10, 1995
Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I commend to your attention a speech given
by Mr. Rudy Porter, assistant to the mayor of Anderson for community
affairs, on the occasion of the 10th national holiday honoring Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. at the city of Anderson, IN, community-wide
celebration. In the following speech delivered on January 16, 1995, Mr.
Porter eloquently and plainly shows how the legacy of the late Dr. King
empowers and encourages us all to serve our fellow man. Mr. Porter's
words remembering Dr. King should be a guide for us throughout the
year. Mr. Porter:

I would like to acknowledge The Honorable Mayor J. Mark
Lawler, mayor of the great city of Anderson; Dr. Robert
Jackson, Pastor First United Methodist Church, Officers and
Members; Dick Vannatta, President of UAW Local 662 and Lennon
Brown, Principle of Highland Senior High School, co-chairs of
this city-wide celebration; Russell B. Johnson, President
Paramount Heritage Foundation; and the entire board of
directors; Mr. Tom Snyder, President Delco-Remy America; Kim
Blagg who works very hard behind the scene to make this
service possible; members of the Martin Luther King Memorial
Commission; Rev. J.T. Menifee, President; students who
participated in the essay contest, and poster contest from
our schools parochial, private, and the Anderson community
school system.
It is indeed an honor and a privileged pleasure for me to
be here to share perspective and participate. I am truly
honored. I am a firm believer that the ``I will'' is greater
than the ``I.Q.'' By that statement I mean, I would rather
have a person who did not have as much talent, but was
willing, than to have a person who possessed enormous talent,
but was not willing. As a keynote speaker, I do not possess
enormous talent, but I am more than willing.
The city of Anderson, Indiana through our mayor J. Mark
Lawler allowed me to attend a national planning retreat
September 28-30, 1994 in Orlando, Florida hosted by ``The
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission.'' This
Commission provides guidance to local and State holiday
commissions, committees, and organizations. The purpose of
this planning retreat was to develop a five-year strategy
plan for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday
Commission. Mrs. Coretta Scott King and her son Dexter King
were present. Also present were representatives from cities
all across the country. The general focus was ``Help
Somebody!'' through community service.
Many of the planning sessions centered on how individuals
and cities can make a difference. Mrs. Coretta Scott King
stated that service, interracial cooperation, nonviolence, is
what the King holiday is all about. I learned that Anderson,
Indiana was ahead of most cities in the area of total
community involvement in the celebration of the national
holiday. I was happy to share with the nation's
representatives that Anderson, Indiana has a city-wide
observance of the King
[[Page E322]] Day celebration; that Anderson, Indiana has
a full size bronze statute of Dr. King paid for by total
community; that Anderson, Indiana provides scholarships to
both needy students and students who have demonstrated
academic achievement, service to community; that we have a
Martin Luther King Memorial Commission that takes the lead in
our city-wide clean-up; scholarship drive; and stop the
violence efforts; that in all of our efforts, service,
interracial cooperation, nonviolence are priorities. The
president of the Indiana Federal Holiday Commission, Z. Mae
Jemison, was at this planning retreat and she wanted to learn
more about our cooperative efforts in Anderson, Indiana and I
was more than happy to share our many accomplishments.

looking at this years theme: ``kingian nonviolence in action:
empowering future generations to serve.''

I would like to quote a scripture found in the Book of
Nehemiah chapter 4 verse 6 reads: So built we the wall, and
all the wall was joined together to half of its height; for
the people had a mind to work.
For a few minutes, I'd like to talk briefly on the topic
``What Are You Doing to Empower Future Generations to
Serve?'' If you want to be remembered in history loved and
admired by your fellow man you have to ``do something.'' You
have to ``do something'' meaningful and worthwhile and what
ever you do should be of benefit to others. Not just for
yourself, but for others.
The late Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, president emeritus of
Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, who was president when
Dr. King was an undergraduate student there wrote and I
quote: ``To be able to stand the troubles of life, one must
have a sense of mission and the belief that God sent him or
her into the world for a purpose, to do something unique and
distinctive and that if he or she does not do it life will be
worse off because it was not done.'' When Nehemia learned
that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and its gates
burned with fire he did something. First he prayed to God,
used his influence with the king to receive the necessary
materials to rebuild the wall, and he used his God-given
talents to unite the people to rebuild the wall. Dr. King was
not a dreamer, he was a doer. Dr. King did something. Dr.
King was a great student, having skipped both the ninth and
twelfth grades. Dr. King entered Morehouse College at the age
of fifteen. That's doing something. Dr. King was quoted as
saying ``Education without social action is a one-sided value
because it has no true power potential. Social action without
education is a weak expression of pure energy.
Dr. King was committed to the improvement of his community,
the ``beloved community'' for he said, ``I can never be what
I ought to be, until you are what you ought to be; and you
can never be what you ought to be, until I am what I ought to
be.'' This is the interrelated structure of reality. What are
you doing to empower future generations to serve? I sincerely
believe that ``Service to humanity, not self service is the
price we pay for the space we occupy.'' It would not be fair
for me to ask such a question without offering a few
suggestions.
No. 1. You can work as a committee of one to cultivate
``Unity in the community. . .'' And by community I am
referring to the entire city, where you live, work, play,
socialize, worship, everybody matters. Unity has no
boundaries, unity excludes no one; is all inclusive; unity in
the community is key.
To truly have unity in the community we must strengthen our
hands to rebuild walls in Anderson, Indiana torn down by envy
. . . Envy will tear down unity; jealousy . . . jealously
will tear down unity; hate . . . hate will tear down unity;
lies . . . lies will tear down unity; illegal drugs . . .
illegal drugs will tear down unity; apathy . . . apathy will
tear down unity; racism . . . racism will tear down unity.
No. 2. Bigotry . . . bigotry will tear down unity. You can
work as a committee of one to do those preventative things to
help ``stop the violence'' in our community. . .
A couple of months ago I telephoned the Herald-Bulletin
newspaper sound-off number and left this message . . . I feel
it is appropriate for this occasion and I will admit publicly
that I made the call. End violence now! was the title. It
read: There are three words in the English language I would
like to use to describe what I would like to see take place
in Anderson, Indiana . . . our community.
The first word is all. I would like to see all violence
end.
The second word is here. I would like to see all violence
end here in Anderson, Indiana, our community.
The third word is now. I would like to see all violence end
in our community now. I would like to see all violence end. I
want to see it end in Anderson, Indiana, our community, and I
want to see it end now.
You can use your influence, energy, talent, resources, in
the prevention mode to help ``Stop the violence in our
community.'' Young people . . . you have influence--use it to
help stop the violence in our community. Adults you can use
your wisdom; energy; to help ``Stop the violence'' in our
community. Business community--you have resources and
talented employees . . . allow them to help ``Stop the
violence'' in our community. Our city, county, State,
national law enforcement agencies have the skills and
training but they need our help in the area of community
policing . . . give it!
Third, be tolerant of individual differences, recognizing
that sociologically speaking different things, have different
meaning, to different people, in different places at
different times . . . deal with it!
First, unity in the community; second, help stop the
violence in our community; third, tolerance of individual
differences. Issues may differ, whether we're talking about
more recreational activities for youth . . . better paying
jobs for parents . . . better education for all students . .
. but both the task and the challenge remains ever before
each and everyone of us--do something!
Dr. King warned us of ``The triple evils . . . the triple
evils of poverty, racism, and violence. The triple evils are
interrelated and all inclusive. They are barriers that stand
in the way of our living in the beloved community. Dr. King
taught that if the work to remedy on evil, we effect all
evils. The issues change in accordance with the political and
social climate of our nation and world, but the model of the
interconnected triplets remain true throughout time.'' What
are you doing to empower future generations to serve.
We must take every possible opportunity to remind ourselves
and share with young people the words of Dr. King's college
president Dr. Benjamin E. Mays ``You are what you aspire to
be and not what you now are; you are what you do with your
mind, and you are what you do with your youth.''
We can't all do the same things, nor should we want to but
we can all do something to empower future generations to
serve. And if we do there is compensation . . . you see
millionaires have lived and died and no one ever remembered
their names, but just carve you name on human hearts for they
alone are immortal. Do something; and remember whatever you
do should be of benefit to others, not just for yourself, but
for others . . .

Compensation

I'd like to think when life is done
That I had filled a needed post.
That here and there I'd paid my fare
With more than idle talk and boast;
That I had taken gifts divine,
The breath of life and manhood fine,
And tried to use them now and then
In service for my fellow men.

I'd hate to think when life is through
That I had lived by round of years
A useless kind, that leaves behind
No record in this vale of tears;
That I had wasted all my days
By threading only selfish ways,
And that this world would be the same
If it had never known my name.

I'd like to think that here and there,
When I am gone, there shall remain
A happier spot that might have not
Existed had I toiled for gain;
That some one's cheery voice and smile
Shall prove that I had been worthwhile;
That I had paid with something fine;
My debt to God for life divine.

Thank you very, very, much and may God bless each and every
one of you.
Vol. 141

WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1995

No. 27

House of Representatives