Today is Martin Luther King Day here in the States

[ralpht]

Any thoughts?

[Jerry Oz]

Still my hero. I remember the Main Street riots in Columbus, Ohio the night after his assassination. I was six years old. Attempts to reduce his stature by calling his character into question have not swayed my belief that one man, properly motivated and with steel in his spine, can indeed change the world for the better. I am indeed grateful for what Dr. King did and I still lament his passing at such a young age.

With that being said, how sad it is that so many took the relative freedom that we gained since those sad times and chose to go backwards socially, ethically, morally, economically, and from a civic standpoint. Equal opportunity was never the lay of the land, even after the federal government attempted to make it so, but there are still so many lost souls in this country that will never realize the value of pursuing their own dream. And so many that do only pursue their dreams to the detriment of others in our society. Too many hispanics and poor whites are in the same boat, by the way. It's not a racial problem, it's a class problem and Dr. King focused on this just before he died.

Young people have adopted celebrities and athletes as role models who don't [[in my opinion) deserve the title or the love that comes with it. I've met grandmothers who are barely 30 years old. I've met young women who have seven kids by seven "men" and men who have a dozen kids "that they know about". Too many young black men still are caught up in the legal system. Some of them barely teenagers.

It's like Ezekiel's prophecy of the valley of dried bones. There are so many walking dead in society. I believe Dr. King and Brother Minister Shabazz would weep to see that we've come so far ahead while simultaneously choosing to go so far back. I read a story awhile ago about a bear that was raised in the circus. Protesters finally got the bear's owners to set it free. They took it out to the woods and opened his cage. He stepped out, looked around for a bit, and chose to go lay in his cage. It was his only reality; he didn't know what to do, once freed.

That's where we are. It's not a black or white thing. People miss that part of the struggle. It was never about race, but how to give everyone - EVERYONE - equal chances to succeed. We may not all have the same chances, but how sad that so many only took their "freedom" to be the freedom to choose to be slaves instead of walk away. It's too bad that when we have a president who proved the old adage about every boy [[body) having the ability to grow up to be president to be true, it may be too late to inspire the next great American to care enough to make his world a better place.

[marv2]

Any thoughts?

It was a great day. Really cold here in Michigan where I am this weekend. With the Inauguaration and King Day falling on the same weekend it just seemed special. I think people have finally gotten use to the MLK Day holiday and what it stands for.

[splanky]

Though I'm a bit older than Jerry Oz and was a little surprised that he expressed my own
sentiments so articularly I pretty much agree with everything he said especially this:

I believe Dr. King and Brother Minister Shabazz would weep to see that we've come so far ahead while simultaneously choosing to go so far back.

I'm afraid it may be too late for The Dream today...