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Monday, January 16, 2006

Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King has been a hero of mine for as long as I can remember, and he'll always remain so. His 1963 letter from the jail in Birmingham, Alabama will forever stay with me. And his words take on a keen new relevance today:

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

Indeed.

Posted at 01:58 PM in General | Technorati

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Comments

Unfortunately I feel compelled to post here on a solemn note. There was much achieved in the mid 1960s but just like Reconstruction things fell apart. I fear that we are in the midst of a backlash. It isn't coming in the form of lynching and segregation but in the form of right wing judges like Alito who have a huge respect for this idea of "states rights." It's come in the form of words as people claim that blacks are lazy and trying to profit off of the suffering of their ancestors. It comes in the form of attacks on affirmative action. They claim it is about principle but they always seem to point out the racial aspect of affirmative action. Not the fact that white males generally have lower scores and grades than white females, not the fact that many students are admitted partially because they are legacy, not athletes, or the son/daughter of a big time donor. No the attacks are all on the racial aspect.

There is a reason why the south switched parties. In 1964 Goldwater ran as a candidate opposed to the Civil Rights Bill. He was crushed and only picked up a few states. All but Arizona were in the Deep South. Nixon kept the momentum going with his Southern Strategy and Reagan sealed the deal with his talk of welfare queens and the need for reform.

Something needs to be done. Not just for the sake of minorities but for the country. I don't dislike the Republican because of who they are but for what they have done. Their politics have divided this country long enough and along too many lines (race, religion, sexual preference, etc.) It's time for the people with true moral values to take control of the country so we can get back on the path to Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream.

Posted by: UVA08 at January 16, 2006 11:34 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment