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Bush Honors King's Courage, Legacy

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Jan 21, 2008 11:15 am US/Eastern

Bush Honors King's Courage, Legacy

WASHINGTON (AP) ― President Bush on Monday hailed Martin Luther King Jr. as a towering figure and called on the country to honor his legacy by showing compassion to those in need.

"It's fitting that we honor his service and his courage and his vision," Bush said during a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library with first lady Laura Bush.

His comments came on the federal holiday honoring the birthday of King, who would have been 79 on Jan. 15. An advocate of peaceful resistance and equality for people of all races, King was assassinated in April 1968.

The president said that the federal holiday in King's memory is "an opportunity to renew our deep desire for America to be a land of promise to everybody."

Bush said he had a message for his fellow citizens: "By simply living a life of kindness and compassion, you can make America a better place and fulfill the dream of Martin Luther King."

And he said volunteerism and helping neighbors should take place every day, not just on King's day.

Bush spoke after participating in "story time" with a handful of shy children. The president posted a few pictures on a bulletin board as the young students learned how King fought to change unfair laws.

The library is the main building of the District of Columbia's public library system. Its lobby features a colorful mural that depicts scenes from King's life and celebrates his role in the march toward social justice.

Bush has marked the King holiday in different ways during his presidency. Among other events, he has viewed the Emancipation Proclamation at a special showing at the National Archives, placed a wreath at King's grave, spoken at a predominantly black Baptist church and offered a volunteer hand at a high school.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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