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Sarasota News Leader July 4, 2013 OPINION Page 63 achieve the vision articulated in a Philadel- What our Founding Fathers declared for us, phia boarding house 237 years ago. what Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther With such a clear path for the nation to follow, King Jr. clarified for us, is that the greatness of why has so much time passed and equality America is dependent on its citizens striving for the full realization of that vision of equalremained elusive for many in our country? ity. Perhaps it is because when reading the Declaration of Independence, too many infer those When we not only have come to regard all rights and liberties to be intended for them in- citizens as equals, but have established the dividually, or to their kinfolk, or to their kind. means whereby that equality is a continuing Perhaps men read it and do not grasp the clear reality, preserved by not just the vigilance of implication that women also are gifted with government but by the vigilance of each of us, then we can rightfully celebrate the courthis equality. age and brilliance of a handful of men who Perhaps white people read it and do not grasp charted our course on this day more than two that those of other races, ethnicities and nacenturies ago. % tionalities are their equals. Perhaps members of a particular faith read it and do not grasp that those of other faiths and beliefs are equal in the eyes of the Creator. Perhaps those who are heterosexual read it and do not grasp that those who might be gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgendered are no less equal. Perhaps we are so devoted to our own selfish interests that we fail to see the larger truth embodied in those famous words. We so covet "our" liberty and "our" rights that we fail to realize that those liberties and rights are for all. King observed, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Sarasota News Leader welcomes letters to the editor from its readers. Letters should be no more than 300 words in length, and include the name, street address and telephone number of the writer. Letters should be emailed to Letters@SarasotaNewsLeader.com, with "Letter to the Editor" in the subject line. Letters actually printed will be selected based on space available, subject matter and other factors. We reserve the right to edit any letters submitted for length, grammar, spelling, etc. All letters submitted become the property of The Sarasota News Leader.