As we return from the only observed holiday of the spring semester, I wonder how many people actually observed it as more than just a welcomed vacation.
While New Mexico does not have a large black population, one would hope that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message transcends racial barriers.
Instead, the celebration of King's birth has been relegated to the unfortunate status that has begotten other national holidays, such as the Fourth of July. Albuquerque is not at a loss for celebrations, just at a loss for crowds attending them.
Even if many chose not to attend the events, one would hope that they would reflect on King's message of equality.
New Mexico should be at the forefront of an ongoing quest for equal rights, and UNM should be leading the charge as the state's flagship institution. But the absence of minority leadership at the University comparable to its student population and civil rights violations from the not-so-distant past don't paint the rosiest picture.
If you listen to traditionally underrepresented populations that are the majority in New Mexico, they are unhappy for a variety of reasons. Many of those include what they deem to be poor treatment by those in power and poor distribution of the state's limited resources.
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Regardless of whether such accusations are true, it is our responsibility to ensure that we have not created a climate where people believe their voices will not be heard and that they are second-class citizens in a state that has always been their home.
Yes, we have come a long way, but in a world where the Klu Klux Klan is alive and well, sometimes it's just good to take a day to remember that we should still hold ourselves to the highest standards, and above all, keep the dream alive.
Iliana Lim¢n
Editor in chief
