Parish Councilmen Give Final Decision On Street Re-naming 01-05-06
On Jan. 5, 2006 four members of the LCG Parish Council gave final notice to our Ministerial Alliance that the M.L. King Street re-naming will not be placed on the Council agenda for reconsideration at their Jan. 17th Council meeting.
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MINISTERS RESOLUTION:
We caution our Councilmen, Don't Play Politics with God's Law of Justice.
Whereas, the Lafayette Parish Councilmen we have been negotiating with have determined that it is not in the best interest of their Districts short and long term goals to support renaming Willow Street to M.L. King Dr., and,
Whereas, the Lafayette Parish Councilmen we have been negotiating with have determined that the cost of re-naming Willow Street to M.L. King Dr. causes an unfair financial burden upon land owners, and
Whereas, the Lafayette Parish Councilmen we have been negotiating with have determined that "cut throat tactics of Councilman Benjamin and Williams obstructs their support for the street name change",
Therefore, be it resolved that we, the Ministerial Alliance of Lafayette, do hereby pledge to continue to pursue the re-naming of Willow Street to M.L. King Dr. until the re-naming is successful. However long this may take. Even if me must wait for a new Council to be seated.
The last word on this issue has not yet been heard! The attempt to justify not re-naming the street in order to maintain political cohesiveness among five Councilmen for the benefit of their own Districts will not prevail over good will or God's will.
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Excerpt of Ministers Address to Lafayette Parish Council 12-06-05
"Our
mission has been to advance the process of renaming Willow Street to honor Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., a Nobel Peace Prize winner and non-violent advocate of
Civil Rights for all Americans. We
believe our community, as diverse as it is should have a prominent street in
Lafayette named after this great American Humanitarian.
His vision of
judging one by the content of his character awakened and uplifted the moral
conscience of our nation and ushered in an era of new enlightenment. We must not move backwards by failing to recognize his
magnanimous contributions to our American society.
The street
renaming began with the honorable intent of paying tribute to a great American,
Martin Luther King Jr. However,
today, instead of honoring him, we find his name in the center of a controversy. We do not want the name M.L. King associated with or
linked to or implicated in a controversy that tarnishes his name or image.
We believe the
name of this great American should never be placed on the same stage as
political division and internal strife. It
appears that we face a volatile situation that pits citizens against each other
with Martin Luther King Jr’s. name stuck right in the center.
This Lafayette
Louisiana community, like our nation, is comprised of a diverse group of people
who represent numerous nationalities, ethnicities and cultures.
And yet there are still a few who would like to paint our world simply
black and white. Cultural
differences in our American fabric have enriched our society and made America
and our Lafayette community great. We
cannot allow racial strife to move the clock of racial progress backwards.
Given all that
has happened and with no resolution in site, ministers of our community have
joined together to bring a resolution and closure to this street renaming
matter. In 1996, the Lafayette
City-Parish Council approved an ordinance, which established a process and
procedure by which a street name can be changed.
It was unanimously adopted. We
urge the Council to reconsider its previous position regarding the renaming of
Willow Street to M.L. King Drive and forward a resolution to the LCG Planning
and Zoning Department to initiate the course of action that is allowed under
law.
In the spirit of
the season … at a time when there is a great need for unity in our community
…and as we face far greater challenges to our future…we feel that Lafayette
needs to come together to bring recognition to all of those deserving.
We urge you to
settle your internal differences and place the renaming of Willow Street on your
January 17th Council agenda."
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