Let’s follow King’s guidance in Bush library debate

As a Southern Methodist University alum, Class of 1981, I have decided to lend my pen and voice to the discussion surrounding the building of the George W. Bush Presidential Library at SMU.
My decision is based not on the War in Iraq, political party affiliations or that President Bush really isn’t from Texas. My decision is based on the fact that the library will be built on the site of La Madeleine French Bakery and Cafe.
Have you ever had the strawberry tarts? They are to die for.
La Madeleine is where I met and ate with family and friends—and even discussed a few pastoral appointments during Ministers Week at Perkins School of Theology. Now President Bush is destroying it all.
Let’s take a page and a few words from the Rev. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” concerning nonviolent campaigns. He lists four basic steps in keeping with Christian principles:
n Collection of facts: What do we really know about a situation?
n Negotiation: Are we willing to be in dialogue with the so-called opposition?
n Self-purification: How have I contributed to the situation?
n Direct action: Who is responsible? Are we blaming everybody for one thing or one person for everything?
I would like to add a fifth point: Personal sacrifice: What are we willing to give up for justice to occur?
I would invite my fellow protesters to read Martin Luther King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.” If you don’t have a copy, I’ll send you one in a booklet that includes “Loving Your Enemies” and “Declaration of Independence from the War in Vietnam.”
Oh by the way, La Madeleine French Bakery and Cafe has four locations in San Antonio. Stop by the conference office, and we can go to La Madeleine to share a strawberry tart and talk about the Bush library.