Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr and All He Stood For and Against

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MLK St Augustine…Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and I thought it was appropriate to set aside a few minutes and talk about Dr. King and what he stood for. The picture above is one of my favorite pictures of this gentle giant because it’s one of the few we actually have of him smiling.  We don’t have nearly enough pictures of him smiling – because he didn’t have nearly enough opportunities to do so.  A part of me wishes he had been born in the sixties as opposed to have being killed in the sixties, but I don’t believe the Civil Rights movement would have had as much success without this incredible leader.

I’ve read a lot of speculations from people lately – about what King’s reaction would be to our war.  I will absolutely not speculate on someone’s opinion, especially when they’re no longer alive to have their say.  I just want to say this:  I have read a lot of books on this man and on his life.  He has always fascinated me because of his bravery and boldness.  The man stood up before the world and basically said, “I’ll take you on and I will not back down.”  He was killed by hatred…but he didn’t go away.  His words still encourage, inspire and motivate.  His face is as well known and recognized as any President, more so, probably, than 1/3.  He has his own day set aside for all of us to reflect on his life and his word.

The hatred helped to further his cause, not end it.  No doubt he’s in Heaven smiling every time he thinks about that!

As for his stance on peace – he was a Baptist minister who believed in peaceful living.  He was against violence.  I totally agree with that assessment.  However, he obviously wasn’t afraid to fight for what was right.  His fight was against people who were his own countrymen.  They were Ignorant, they were Violent, they were Wrong – but they were a different kind of evil and his peaceful “fight” against them was effective.  The same type of approach wouldn’t stand a chance against the kind of hatred that attacked our nation on September 11.

As for where his political affiliations would lie, no one can say.  I believe he may have been the first to rise above all the elephant vs. donkey nonsense, the way he did the white vs. black nonsense.  I believe he would have kept preaching unity over division.  Like I said, a part of me truly wishes he had been born in ’68 rather than killed in ’68.

He was a Christian, and I’m certain would respect Bush’s spirituality.  I don’t believe he would agree with everything Bush stands for, everything Clinton stands for, and certainly not everything Kerry stands for. He would have been his own man because he didn’t know how to be anything else.

I hope you’ll research this man and learn all you can about him. He’s a large part of our nation’s history, and you’ll never find a better example of a fighter.

Fighter. That’s the common thread shared by all of my own personal heroes and heroines. They fought – not just for themselves, but for others. Jesus, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr…. the world is a better place because they lived.

A final thought, many people say that (as a nation) we’re wrong to try to “police” other countries.  That, essentially, we shouldn’t concern ourselves with the horrible way they treat their people.  Whenever I read criticism for our military or our leaders, I always think of a quote from non other than Mr. King himself:

 

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. “ Amen and Amen.

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