MLK DAY

Martin Luther King has a day all to himself. The past Lincoln’s day and Washington’s day have been replaced with “president’s” day.  This is not a complaint but an observation of the changes that occurred over the years to bring homage to a great American.  I am not saying the Lincoln and Washington do not deserve a singular day; they do but the need for that specific day celebrating Dr. King is perhaps more important. 

Even with the statement above the question of relevance can be raised and in relation to who was more important but that’s not what I want to discuss here.  What is important is often a subject of relativity and position in relation to the politics and populous.  Too many Dr. King was a divider, while others see him as a motivator and unifier.  He certainly was the driving force that helped this country see the ills of its ways in relation to race and color. 

It can be argued that his methods were somewhat revolutionary and not unlike Gandhi who brought the British Empire to its knees without the need for open warfare.  It can also be argued that Dr. King created a new level of consciousness that allowed the American public to finally admit its level of racism.  For all of that and all of the unspoken advances in race relations, I thank him openly and state unequivocally that he deserves his own day.

What I am most troubled about is the recent (5 to 10 years) move by individual communities to continue to place blame on other communities… (ok..black and white..are you happy?) …for the continued plight of that community.  After Dr. King spoke so eloquently about his dream of a new life and a new day that would not include negative relations between any race, those words have fallen on infertile soil, leaving his words meaningless to what seems like a majority of those who profess allegiance to his gospel and way of life.

I am not a racist, I know I am not.  I fail to pursue the thoughts that would include simple bigotry and narrowness of mind to include an entire race of people.  There are stereotypical behaviors that all races possess but in the example that I try to set, it is the individual actions that matter and not the overall actions of a few that determine the mindset of the whole.  In other words, there are stupid and ignorant people in all walks of life and in all races.  When a person acts incorrectly, it is that person who is to blame not the race of that person.  If a black or a white man likes something or dislikes something that should have no barring on the likes and dislikes of that individuals race, even if it is a widely held practice. 

Dr. King’s vision was to see beyond color and beyond those negative beliefs in order to more correctly see the beauty of the individual.  Dr. King was not the originator of those ideas, but he was a strong promoter of those Christ like attributes that we must all strive to posses.  The more we look toward Christ (and yes Christ was a Jew) the more importance is placed on the individual and not on the group.  One of the Jews big problems is the emphasis they place on being the Chosen People and the mistake they often made in supplanting that title with the need to be Christ like or in their terms God like.

Just like the Jews in the past, the races of today are less fervent in their desire to look beyond their own color and into the eyes of those that looks back at them with the same desires, the same motivations and sadly with same level of disdain; incidentally as man has done since the beginning of time.

Dr. Martin Luther King taught us a great many things and for those things he deserves a special day.  I wish only that his students, his followers and all those who take advantage of this day would follow his teachings, looking inward and upward for inspiration and discontinue the ever so present blame game. 

I am not to blame for another’s discomfort or life position.  I make my choices and suffer the consequences of those choices, as should every one else….