Have we really stepped back? I won't/can't argue the point. Like some here, I want to believe that what we see in the media is not an accurate reflection of the average American citizen. Yes, I have been monitoring the events in Florida. I'll even add to your point with this item I also posted:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002551171
...and yet I still in my heart refuse to believe that THIS is a true reflection of my fellow American.
I reflect on a discussion I once had with an ultra conservative friend of mine. I asked him if he ever wondered if all of Nazi Germany was truly only populated by hardcore fascist nutbags. If so, then what turned all those people that way and why did they revert back to sanity after the war. He actually had no answer....nor do I. Neither of us believed that the entire German population went off the deep end-that many if not most of them were stuck going along into that nightmare because they had little choice.
History shows us that a society can go from sanity to insanity and back again to sanity....do we really need the horror of war in this country before this insanity goes away? We have been down that road, I refuse to believe another civil war is necessary!
Sorry for the ramble, when I posted Dr. King's Dream, the news had just came down that Zimmerman was going to get his day in court and that day would be under the close scrutiny of the American people. My hope is that this becomes a teaching lesson for the citizenry, that we learn that racism is still a huge ongoing nightmare throughout much of our land. We do have an election coming up, it would be nice if Treyvon's death could have a positive influence on that election.
I posted Dr. King's speech because he laid out what was, what is and painted a portrait of what could be. He advocated for a way to achieve this dream that did not require hate or violence. Dr. King may not be here but his words are. It is my desire to see his words filter through those who have fear in their hearts as we witness the trial of Zimmerman....this trial could be much more than only about his fears and his hate and what he did. I believe that it is and should be about America's future.