Ehrlich on Washington column, January 24, 2000

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of January 24, 2000 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Dr. King’s Dream Lives On A holiday honoring of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not just another tribute to one of America’s leaders. It is, instead, an opportunity to take stock in the progress we have made toward a society where every person has the same opportunity for freedom and economic advance. How far have we come? How much more needs to be done? Dr. King was a leader in every sense of the word. He had a dream that Americans would someday drop their prejudices and judge every person for who they are, and not by the color of their skin or their background. Many of you may remember, as I do, watching Dr. King on the television and visualizing this America as he described it. His shared vision led the battle to change the nation. To this day, his victories are still being felt, and his dream is still being realized. In the 32 years since his death, America has made much progress. The barriers to employment openings and business opportunities have been broken by pioneering African Americans. Black- owned firms grew 46 percent between 1987 and 1992, growing more than U.S. businesses as a whole. In Congress, we have passed major milestones in civil rights laws for the purpose of regulating equal access to public accommodations, equal justice before the law, and equal employment, education, and housing opportunities. Further, the black struggle for civil rights has also inspired other liberation and rights movements, including those of Native Americans, Latinos, and women. While much has been accomplished, there is much more that needs to be done to end discrimination of any kind. This Congress, I have continued to focus my work on creating opportunities for everyone — black, white, Hispanic, Asian — to advance and raise their children in a safe and healthy Maryland. Many of the battles my colleagues and I have waged are disagreements over how best to accomplish this. Some think the federal government knows best. I, however, think people make the best decisions for themselves. One example, I am cosponsoring H.R.8, Death Tax Elimination Act, which corrects a tax which is harmful to Americans and "has been particularly damaging to African-Americans..." (. Alexis