BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) issued the following statement in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“Fifty years ago today, one of the most important and inspirational figures in American history was taken from us. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, and the nation lost an icon. His assassination cast a scar on the soul of our country, so deep and so painful was his loss. We had relied heavily upon his grace and wisdom to guide us through one of the most tumultuous periods in our history. His death found Americans everywhere struggling to reconcile newfound anger, heartache and uncertainty.
“Yet the legacy Dr. King left behind was so profound, it saw us through even the darkness of his own passing. He taught us that in the face of evil, we must unify with love; that when given the chance to respond with violence, we must instead respond with peace. ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness,’ he said. ‘Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’ We carried his lessons with us, and fifty years later, we carry them still.
“Dr. King lives on with every peacefully marching protester and every word spoken in opposition to inequality and injustice. He lives on in the growing diversity of our college campuses and the all-too-slow, but steady, representation of people of color in our government. He lives on in all the men and women of this country who, every day, choose to meet hate with love, and struggle with hope.
“Today, on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s death, let us recommit ourselves to the vision he had for our country. Let us vow to embody compassion and insist on equality. Let us remember Dr. King the way he would have wanted: through imparting love, peace and tolerance wherever we may go, to each and every one of our neighbors.”