0 you can reach us on twitter and on facebook and we'd love to hear your insight on all of that. next up, ed schult \s>> good evening men marines. welcome to the ed schultz. live from new york. let's get to work. >> on a hot summer day, they assembled here. >> let freedom ring. >> this march and that speech changed america. >> his words belong to the ages. possessing a power and prove if i unmatched in our time. >> i have a dream. >> they opened minds. they melted hearts. >> we must keep the faith and keep our eyes on the prize. >> that was the spirit of young people like john lewis brought to that day. >> and america is that promised land for all of us. >> in the face of violence, they stood up and sat in. >> because they kept marching. america changed. >> and yes, eventually the white house changed. >> free at last, free at last. thank god almighty, we are free at last. >> good to have you with us tonight. thanks for watching. i'm ed schultz. "the ed show." we're here monday through friday 5:00 eastern. today was a big day of emotion for this country. a day of record, a day of reflection. to me, you know what, i am so feeling so good about inside is because i think today was a day of learning for a lot of americans. there are a lot of american who's weren't alive 50 years ago today that kind of wondered what this was all about. and the neat thing about it all is that you can't change the film. it happened. it's there. this is what that generation went through. this is what it means to our country and the future. the question is, are we strong enough to pick up the torch and carry it to the next generation? you know, i believe that government has a role in our lives. i'm a liberal. but you can't legislate how someone feels. you can't legislate what someone's going to believe. you can't instill in people's hearts that this is the way it has to be. so when i say today is a day of learning, i mean it is a day of great opportunity for america for us to pass the torch. the moral tonch information to young people who weren't alive 50 years ago today. that we are such a great country and we have overcome so much. and today was a great example for america. this is how you lead. 50 years ago today, dr. martin luther king jr. gave his historic "i have a dream" speech from the steps of lincoln mall. pretty awesome. >> i have a dream. my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. i have a dream. >> half a century later, an estimated 100,000 people came to the national mall in washington, d.c. to celebrate dr. king's legacy and civil rights progress over the past 50 years. what do you think they're thinking right there? most of these folks right here are under 50. they weren't here back then. what are they thinking? i bet they're curious. i bet that they wanted to capture -- i wonder what it was like being there? two former democratic presidents and president broem on hand to address the american people on this historic day. and how awesome they were. massive crowd there with joy in their heart as the nation's first black president spoke from the same spot dr. king did 50 years ago today. president obama paid tribute to the civil rights activist who's marched for change in the face of adversity. >> because they kept marching, america changed. because they marched the civil rights law was passed. because they marched a voting rights law was signed. and too many communities across this country in cities and suburbs and rural hamlets, the shadow of poverty casts a pall over our yurkts their lives a for res of substandard schools. >> and finally the president made therousing case this country can move mountains if we put our minds to it. the fight for equality continues but our country can overcome the greatest adversity. >> that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their corrupt can change it. that when millions of americans of every race and every region, every faith and every station can join together in a spirit of brother hood, then those mountains will be made low and those rough places will be made plain. and those crooked places, they straighten out towards grace and we will vindicate the faith of those who splisd so much and live up to the true meaning of our cede as one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> truly spectacular speech by the president. rights act were overturned by the supreme court in june. there is very little doubt since president obama has become president elected in 2008 that racial tension is on the rice in this country with radical groups that are out there. the birth of tea party has played a major role in all of this. and civil rights leaders are taking notice. the reverend jesse jackson recently said "the tea party is the resurrection of the confederate sit." it's the ft. sumpter party. at the beginning of this broadcast, i said that we can't legislate how people feel. but we can influence how americans feel if we teach the moral fiber of the country. and what inclusiveness means. i hope americans were touched today, i hope the hearts of americans were touched today. we have a responsibility to pass the torch on of equality. and i think we made some big steps forward today. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think, tonight's question, are conservatives the new confederates? text a for yes b for no. go to our blog. we'll bring you the results later on in the show. for more let's turn to reverend jesse jackson and congressman emmanuel clear of of missouri. great to have you with us tonight. reverend jackson, you said the tea party is the resurrection of the confederacy. what motivated to you say that, reverend? >> well, the fear mongering, the anti-civil rights, anti-voting rights, anti-women's rights, anti-labor. state's rights. that's beak the confederate agenda. they may hate us and say dr. king said that you cannot legislate attitude. you can legislate behavior. if you fight for medicare and medicaid as johnson did, if you fight for the right to vote, you cannot change attitudes but you can change behavior. attitudes will soon follow. i think beyond the motivation that i thought president obama and carter and clinton took us to a high level. look in the rearview mirror of how far we've come from . now is the time for the lby snoemt where you deal with what it will cost to get us to where we are going. that's where enforcement of, comes in. >> congressman, it's easy to say we've come a long way in 50 years. what has to be done at this point in the president talked about some facts of what's unfolded in society and what we have to do to make this a better country. how do we get there? >> well, first, i think that we've got to try to create in this country some respect for this were president. unfortunately, you cannot can be obama and right at the same time with a certain segment of this population. and it's tragic. the president has prepped a jobs then ma lines the rest because of their needs. and that's what we're seeing right now. >> congressman, that is "the ed show" right there. that is in my opinion the lynchpin of this country. everything changes in your life when you have a job. the stability of the family changes. the stability after your neighborhood. the education of your kids. everything changes. and we see this gap taking place in america. you're not going to be able to address it legislatively overnight or a few years. it's a generational thing. we need to talk to young people about the severity of this. reverend jackson, you said. >> may i say this? >> go ahead. >> may i? lyndon johnson opened up the war on poverty in appalachia. he whitened the face of poverty and deracialized. most poor people are not black or brown. they're white female and young. whether white, black or brown, hunger hurts. so to revive the war on poverty, a constitutional right to vote and keep investing in the south has a way of neutralizing some of the fears and some of the ignorance and hate that's now prevailing >> congressman, what does today mean to you? did we take a step forward today? >> we did in the sense that and you said it earlier. we're sharing the history of a great moment with a new generation. and as i have said to young people as i've spoken to them, change has always been brought about by young people. even my good friend, the reverend jesse jackson had no great hairs when he stepped out and became a part of an sclc. and operation breadbasket. napoleon if you look at alexander the great. >> you leave my hair alone. >> you still got come. that's the main thing, reverend, isn't it? >> yes. >> but most -- i mean young to are have you with us tonight. remember to answer tonight's questions. share your thoughts @ed show and facebook. like us on facebook. follow us on 2008er @ed show. coming up, dr. king's fight for equal education opportunities continues in the birthplace after the civil rights movement. birmingham, alabama. i'll have the details next. later as conservatives push for war in syria, we'll look back at dr. king's message of peace. and a reminder, don't forget to check out "hardball" with chris matthews. it's new time 7:00 p.m. eastern live here on msnbc. we're right back. and i am so thankful to angie's list for bringing us together. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust.