I cosponsored several of those other bills, including the one that made it all the way for Governor Jeanne Shaheen to sign -- so I personally saw the fight evolve -- bitter, emotional, and at times our opponents said disgusting things in expressing their opposition.  

It took many of our political leaders years of work -- yes, they did other things as well -- to finally break down the walls and get enough support to pass MLK, Jr. Day.  

There were many who made the difference -- certainly Gov. Shaheen, but also Chris Spirou, Mary Chambers, Rick Trombly, Clif Below, Burt Cohen, Bev Hollingworth, Ray Buckley, Peter Burling, Paul McEachern, Elaine Krasker, Laura Pantelakos, Charlie Vaughn, Arnie Arnesen, John Splaine, Eileen Foley -- I'd better stop there (though readers might like to add others) because there were hundreds.  And if you don't know some of those names, a little Google search will tell you about good people who did good things.  

And we can't forget Lionel Johnson of Manchester  and Juanita Bell of Portsmouth.  Plus, of course, hundreds -- thousands -- of people, like Arnie Alpert and Nate Holloway, who worked behind the scenes for eventual success, including T.J. Wheeler.  His commentary:  

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A little over a week ago candidates for our nation's highest office gathered at St. Anselm's College to debate which of them had the best vision for the future of America. The subject of poverty though was seldom mentioned. This was not an abnormality of the other Presidential debates over the last several months.

The old poor now have new members...which are being called the new poor and their next in line neighbors, the near poor. Both of these new entries to the American lexicon were formerly known as the Middle Class.

Candidate Santorum spoke in outrage at fellow candidate Romney for using the term class at all, stating that America is a classless society. That comment reminded me of the old Fats Waller saying "My oh my, what an elegant party...I wonder what all the Po Folk are doing?"

Such contentions are being touted by Republican leaders against President Obama, and other likeminded Democrats & Independents as extolling Class Warfare. Such accusations, to me, are equivalent to accusing Oliver Twist of terrorism for having the audacity to ask "Pardon me sir... could I have a little more?"

50% of Children, by the way, according to current statistics, are living either in poverty or near poverty. So many years after Martin's life was cut short, such horrific realities make us have to ask... What would Dr. King say...if he were here today?

While we celebrate Dr. King's legacy at this and other Holiday breakfast's across the nation today, let us use this time to inspire each other to activism throughout all of the year. Its important for us not be mulled into complacency and simply recite quotes from Dr. King's I have a dream speech turning the hard fought battles of the classic civil rights movement into purely nostalgia. Kurt Vonnegut once said that ...Nostalgia is just another form of depression.

It was a two decade long battle to persuade the NH powers that be, to pass the Martin Luther King Day Holiday bill. Please...let us not disrespect his memory, and the work of those who fought for the holiday, by letting this day denigrate into merely a day off, opposed to a day on of service. Let's rescue the dream and the holiday from a fate of marketing clichés, bumper stickers, T shirts, buttons, and falling to the ranks of peace signs and smiley faces.

The struggle for Civil rights and Human rights are not an anachronism. Malcolm X prophesized, over 40 years ago, that racism would eventually be morphed into a wider evil form of classism.

Dr. King himself said that "True compassion is more than flinging a coin at a beggar... it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."

One of the fastest demographics forming the new, or near poor, are the young. They, unlike some of us, that are weary of fighting the system, aren't taking it lying down! Many have gravitated to the promises of, so called peace, and State rights platforms by Republican candidate Ron Paul.

It is a understatement to say there are major differences between Ron Paul's vision and Dr. Kings. Even at the costs of alienating lifelong allies in the civil rights struggle, Dr. King courageously stood up against the Vietnam War.

In fact, he was assassinated one year, to the day, after speaking out against the war. In his speeches, he declared that the war was an extension of both racism and classism, sending poor people (disproportionally people of color) to kill other poor people (who were also people of color.)

Martin Luther King promoted turning the other cheek, but he didn't promote turning ones back to the needs of others in selfish isolationism. Even before the term Geo Politics was coined, Dr. King knew that ultimately we're all in this boat called Mother Earth together ...sink or swim.

Another difference is that Dr. King knew that our country's, inherent, system of check & balances between Federal & State governments, though imperfect, was important to insuring all Americans of protection for their annihilable, rights and freedoms appropriated in our constitution and Declaration of Independence.

The banner cry for State's rights, bemoaning the entrenchment of big brother Federal government, I can imagine is quite a carrot to wag at our, increasingly, disenfranchised youth of America. One must remember though that the Civil War is still often referred to, by many, as a war not about slavery, but about State's rights.

One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to know which state right they wanted to preserve, at the costs of the bloodiest war in American history i.e. Slavery. For that matter, many of the true believers still refer to the conflict as The war of Northern Aggression (the latter term I suspect being coined by the ancestors of those who currently toss around accusations like class warfare.)

The bravest, and boldest of our youth, in my opinion, are whom Time magazine included in their Person of the year award, the protesters known as the Occupy movement.

The Occupy Movement first cut to the chase ala Jerry Maguire "show me the money" by circumventing the middle men of Congress, and even the White House, and heading straight to Wall St. The Occupy Movement is now only visibly in hibernation over the winter months. Another way of describing their current activity would be to say the calm before the storm of Spring 2012.

Every Occupy site across America, and beyond, is filled with the figurative Grandchildren of Martin Luther King. His broadest vision and project was his last ...the Poor Peoples Campaign. Realizing that Civil rights without broader human rights were, in effect, little rights at all, King was planning his second march on Washington. This march was to cash in on yet another bounced check by our government...one that, once deposited, would invest in its citizens as much as was being invested in destruction in conflicts fought around the world.

It was a colorblind movement that, with King's leadership, could have potentially prevented much of the turmoil, hardships and widespread poverty we are seeing today.

Not surprisingly Dr. King was taken out before this dream could have been brought to true fruition. After all, there is nothing more threatening to a government based on capitalism than a person of extreme influence over its citizens that cares more for the needs of the people than the personal accumulation of their own wealth.

The Poor People's flag has been picked up by our youth, but we, regardless of age, must participate. If you feel you're bones are too brittle, or simply that your responsibilities keep you from joining the canvas of sleeping bags and tents across America, there are alternatives.

Occupy your mind with Dr. King's dreams, then occupy your own dreams of justice, join in at rallies, occupy your time contacting by phone and mail your elected representatives, occupy town hall meetings, occupy voting booth, occupy your dollars and spend them in, as often as possible, at businesses that reflect your beliefs and in non profits that are at the forefront of the battle.

Historically, the only time great power grants part of their power, wealth and rights are when an unyielding, strident and unstoppable populace movement demands it.

By all of us, occupying the dream actively, with such diligence, perhaps then, we shall overcome. Then and only then, will we have Dr. King's dream become a reality we all can occupy.