The editorial cartoon of Jan. 19 depicted the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Barack Obama with the words “I have a dream … come true.” To be sure, the election and the inauguration of an African-American to the highest office in the nation is a monumental moment in the history of this great country, and one that is long overdue.

However, to say this is Dr. King’s “dream come true” is, in my opinion, a little premature.

Racism and bigotry still plague our country. And if that is not bad enough, partisan politics threaten to bring our nation to its knees.

We have come a long way as a nation, but there is much work to do if we are to realize Dr. King’s dream of racial equality and national unity.

It all begins with that person you see in the mirror each morning.

I am determined to do my part, but I need your help. In his last public speech, Patrick Henry said, “Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.”

John A. Chick, Monmouth