"We know through painful experience that freedom
is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be
demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have never yet
engaged in a direct action movement that was 'well timed',
according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly
from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard
the words 'Wait!' It rings in the ear of every Negro
with a piercing familiarity. This 'Wait' has almost always
meant 'Never.' We must come to see with the distinguished
jurist of yesterday that 'justice too long delayed
is justice denied.'"
Martin Luther King Jr. - Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Now, persecution festers underground.
If the word "Wait" is whispered in State Houses across the country,
I have not heard it.
Not even the cowardly procrastination "Wait" is spoken aloud.
In the prevailing secrecy, those who deny our suffering
have no need to scream: "Never".
But that is the word that we hear.

On this day that celebrates the continuing inspiration
of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
and the battle against oppression that he so excellently led,
we ask our states, our cities, and our towns to take action
against those who persecute the citizens of this country.

We ask for Sanctuary