King III says shift in priorities setback to racial reconciliation

ITTA BENA, MISSISSIPPI - Martin Luther King III said Friday a major casualty in the war on terrorism has been a congressional push to address racial profiling. <br> <br> ``We almost had the legislation on the books, and then Sept. 11 came,&#39;&#39; King said at Mississippi Valley State University. ``So now we&#39;re back on the bottom of the books.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Instead of passing measures to protect minorities, Congress has made it easier for the government to persecute them, he said. <br> <br> ``They&#39;re just locking up folks - 3,500 people - because they&#39;re not from here. We have to fight to preserve our civil liberties because they&#39;re being eroded everyday under the auspices of national security,&#39;&#39; said King, son of the late Martin Luther King Jr. <br> <br> The younger King said while there has been some progress in racial reconciliation, the struggle of his father continues. <br> <br> ``For the vast majority of people of color, we haven&#39;t arrived yet,&#39;&#39; said King, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil rights organization his father formed in 1957. <br> <br> King was on hand for a scholarship and awards banquet celebrating the 52nd anniversary of Mississippi Valley State, one of three historically black universities in Mississippi.