Barred From the Bison Sports Arena

To the Editor:

It has been 40 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, in 1968, the same year I was drafted into the U.S. Army.

Living in North Dakota, I’d never met a black person until I was in the Army. However, I learned quickly to respect all races, as I relied on them to save my life in war just as they relied on me. I remembered God’s spoken word that we all were made in His image.

When George Bush came to Fargo, running for his second term in 2004, I looked at the Forum and found my name on the front page. The Bush administration had banned me from attending his appearance at the Bison Sports Arena, along with 32 other Fargo citizens. I was barred from a state-owned building paid for with my tax dollars.

Was it because I had written so many letters trying to help the most vulnerable citizens of the city of Fargo, fighting for their safety and rights? Was it because I wrote letters opposing the war? Was it because I belonged to an opposing political website? It must have been all of the above.

I have since figured out that I did nothing wrong--the President of the United States was wrong, as the President and Vice President have been wrong about so many things in the last eight years. And the ones who have had to suffer most for their arrogance are our servicemen and women.

I have learned that Martin Luther King not only wanted to help black Americans. He also wanted to end poverty. After he was assassinated, a copy of his next speech was found. Its purpose was to help all poor and vulnerable people in the U.S., including whites, Hispanics and the Catholic Irish. I in no way suffered or even came close to losing my life as Dr. King did. However I understand now a little of how he must have felt, being banned from doing things that other Americans can do just because you’re different.

Today Martin Luther King’s son is asking both presidential candidates to pledge to end poverty in the United States. Let us finally become the country of the United States of America. Let us all work together to make this country the promised land that Martin Luther King dreamed of.

Forty years have passed and today we have a African American presidential candidate running for the highest office in the land. Let us show the world how we, as American citizens, have changed and elect Senator Obama. I am proud to be a veteran and to say God Bless America and please help us on our new journey into the promised land.

Bruce D. Brovold
Fargo