Daley spoke about the importance of public service and asked for a moment of silence in honor of Chicago's civil servants who have died in the last year. He then spoke about the importance of education, respect and civility.
"How can we have civility today when anyone in America has a right to a gun in their home, in their street? Any place in America? We're missing the point," said Mayor Daley. "All the sudden we have to talk about a tragedy about civility. It's a tragedy that Martin Luther King knew and he had. He saw tragedy throughout his whole life. But he was nonviolent and he ended up a victim. And today in America the right to a gun says, 'I have more rights than anyone else. And to me that is a sad expression as we celebrate 25 years of this interfaith breakfast.'" Watch Daley's Full Speech
Francis Cardinal George of the Chicago Archdiocese and mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel also attended the event at the Hilton Chicago on South Michigan Avenue.
Saturday is Dr. King's birthday. He would have been 82 years old. Monday is the national holiday.
