Although Dr King's image and legacy are co-opted by the current Democratic candidates to pull voter's heart strings, much in the way Gandhi's image is used here in India to associate the political will of Italian-born Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul with the spirit of the Mahatma, in both instances, it is the people that can and will demand that these politicians be accountable for peace. As a topic, folks now would laugh at peace, and in America we accept violence as a way of life. Yet, in this time of globalization, where India and American are somehow on polar opposites, the shared legacy of non-violent revolution is undeniable, and a stake in our collective future's that far exceed market crashes, and political allegiances to enforce market dominance.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are not relatives of Gandhiji, as his in honorifically called, nor is Sen. Obama a descendant of slaves, or Senator Clinton a feminist voice. She just happens to be a woman, he happens to be multi-racial, and Gandhi is just a common name in India. Despite the use of the images of these champions of peace in times of war, conflict (trade, terrorism, global warming)in order to manufacture consent of of the popular for their votes, the spirit of resistance bleeds through. What about peace? What do we teach our children about their legacy, and how can we reconcile this with violence and coercive and anti-poor policies? Planting the MLK seed in the current presidential campaign just may be our last hope for any real reconciliation and continuation of the struggle towards realizing civil rights for everyone. Education is a right. Work is a right. Health is a right. National autonomy is a right and democracy is its most powerful tool to date. Poverty and hunger, particularly in the wealthiest nation in the world, is just a shame.