Wasserman Schultz: Aiding Haiti Honors Dr. King’s Mighty Call for Justice

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) released the following statement this weekend in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday:

“In any year, the anniversary of Dr. King’s birth is a fitting time to reflect on the progress this nation and the world have made toward his vision for social justice and harmony, a vision that pushed America to better live up to its own ideals and one that tragically cost him his life. As we witness both devastation and valiant rescue efforts in Haiti, we start what would have been the 82nd year of Dr. King’s life with a stark reminder of the dignity and the humanity he saw in both rich and poor.

“When Dr. King accepted the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, he said ‘In the final analysis, the rich must not ignore the poor because both rich and poor are tied in a single garment of history… The agony of the poor diminishes the rich, and the salvation of the poor enlarges the rich.’ Many of my fellow South Floridians and fellow Americans already have volunteered their expertise, time and financial support to our impoverished and beleaguered neighbors in Haiti. Many more will join them in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. In doing so, they give sustenance to the power of Dr. King’s ideas and honor his mighty call for justice. As we celebrate Dr. King’s birthday with a federal holiday on Monday, I encourage everyone to ask — and answer — this question: ‘What more can I do for the Haitian people?'”