MLK Would Mean Nothing to Dyer or Jacobs

Orlando celebrated MLK Day 2014 this weekend.

Nice parade. Pleasant, affirming. Lots of nice politicians too.

But, what will it mean tomorrow? Nothing.

Let’s face it, this is Orlando, America’s low wage capital ranked among the nation’s meanest cities.

Were he alive today, Martin Luther King, Jr., would mean nothing to a man like Buddy Dyer, who works against the poor, hungry and weakest in his city. Imagine Mayor Teresa Jacobs explaining to MLK that, no, minimum wage workers deserve neither a living wage or paid sick time. How would the Pastor Allen T. D. Wiggins, of the Hope Church, justify his opportunistic relationship with Walmart, whose low paid jobs still entitle employees to public assistance?

On this cold and chilly MLK Day, Orlando remains a land of tremendous contradictions and despair. The communities that make up Orlando crave a sense of community. It’s elusive.  Sometimes, we get it from the Orlando Magic and other times there’s a collective sigh of relief over a completed roadway project.

Local politicians openly defy the needs of their constituents. Flauntingly.  And siding against families over and over and over again.

Perhaps that is the reason for the 12% voter turnout in Dyer’s world-class city, 2 years ago.

Small businesses outside of Mills50 struggle and fester. The blight along East and West Colonial Drive is stunning to the visitor. Where is the community re-investment? 

Still, it was nice to have the parade downtown. It was nice to ponder, to consider what was and still could be. After all, it’s nice to fantasize about decency, justice and fairness. It’s human. 

For a moment today, Orlando dressed itself up, combed its hair and put on its best face for MLK Day 2014.

But tomorrow, it will be back to its old, mean and nasty self, championing the needs of the big and powerful, over the people who came downtown for Orlando’s MLK Day 2014.