Remarks at Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service January 15, 2007

It is an honor to be here today to speak on behalf of the state of Georgia, and I want to thank all of you who have come here today to honor the legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King.

I must admit that I was nervous coming up here today, knowing that I would have to speak in the same historic church where the great man whose legacy we honor today once preached his gospel of unity and brotherhood.

It has been almost a year since the world lost a great friend in Coretta Scott King, and it is fitting that we honor her memory today as well. Because no person worked harder to preserve the legacy of the late Dr. King or did more to keep the fires of justice burning than did his devoted wife.

Our loss was Heaven’s gain, however…and it is fitting that they are now reunited in a place where this is no suffering and where we are all equal in the eyes of God.

Because that is what King wanted and what he fought so hard for…to be treated equally. He didn’t want more than anybody else, and he didn’t think he was better than anybody else. He just wanted to be treated as an equal…he just wanted the same opportunities for his children as for any other child…and believed that everyone deserved the chance to find their own success…to realize their own dreams.

Dr. King once said that "Everybody can be great because anybody can serve." Those words inspire me…and they should inspire us all…because life is about service…it is about serving others…and it is a 24-hour-a-day job. The message in your theme for this celebration rings true. There are no days off from the work of serving others.

We serve God…we serve our fellow man…and we should serve the cause of liberty and equality that Dr. King fought so hard for and paid the ultimate price for…and we should serve it every day.

Today is not just a day to look back but a day to look forward. It’s not just a day to remember but a day to act. And it’s not just a day to look at each other and ask what are you doing but a day to look inside and ask ourselves what are we doing?

What are we doing to live Dr. King’s dream everyday?

What can we do to serve the cause of liberty…the cause of brotherhood?

What can we do to make sure that the bell of freedom forever rings for every American?

On behalf of the state of Georgia I want to challenge everybody to act…to go forward into the days ahead with a commitment to serve…with the belief that every man is your brother…that every woman is your sister…and that every person deserves your love. That was the dream of Dr. King. And if we can serve that dream everyday…Dr. King will forever live on.

Thank you

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