As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and work tomorrow (Monday, January 16), I think that we should take a moment to remember his important contribution to our country and the world. Dr. King walked with tremendous dignity despite carrying a heavy load, in his own interpretation of faith, much the same way Jesus did when carrying the cross. Dr. King’s crosses to bear were prejudice, inequity, and ignorance, but he did not shrink away from this momentous challenge but rather embraced it as his raison d’être until the day he died.
When I teach composition to college students, one of the pieces I use for the section on argument and persuasion is Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. It is one of the finest pieces of writing, persuasive or otherwise, that we have as a legacy of American truth and justice. Like Abraham Lincoln’s "Gettysburg Address," Dr. King’s speech stands the test of time, and it seems to me to be even more poignant and to the point than it was forty-two years ago.
Can we imagine what it must have been like to stand on the Mall that day and hear that magnificent speech? I’d say there have only been a few times in history when such a great oratorical moment has been recorded for posterity and so many people learned of it and felt its impact. The fact that it was broadcast on national television added to its importance and scope, and I can picture the New York lawyer, the Congressman in Washington, the tycoon on his estate, and the poor people of this country all watching it at the same time. Obviously its effect would vary depending on the individual, and those who were ignorant or intolerant were probably not going to watch (or more importantly listen) in the first place.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Victor Plenty
In a more enlightened future, I am confident, the time of year we call the holiday season will extend at least until the middle of January, and include the celebration of Martinsday. It certainly couldn't hurt to add an extra three weeks to the season when we all do whatever we can to promote peace on earth and goodwill toward everyone.
2 - Catana
I'm confident that if King had lived, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. It's nice to think that one individual could really count for much, but that's not the world we live in. At least the anniversary gives everyone a chance to do some wishful thinking and indulge in useless sentimentality.
3 - Victor Plenty
It must be convenient to believe such things, Catana. That line of thinking makes a perfect rationalization for never lifting a finger to help anyone else unless you might profit by doing so.
If I've misjudged the way you go through life, I'd love for you to explain what you've done to make the world a better place, and how you reconcile such actions with the pessimist philosophy you've stated above.
4 - Victor Lana
Catana, I understand your sentiments, especially the way the world is going these days, but I have to believe in one man (or woman) being able to make a difference. Think: Dr. King, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Helen Keller, Louis Braille, etc. Perhaps I am too optimistic, but I want to believe that the good in the human race outweighs the negative. In that way one person can rise up and spark change and lead the way.
5 - Catana
That's quite an assumption you're making, Victor Plenty. I didn't say no one should do anything. I merely said that one person isn't going to make much of a difference. I see a lot of the eulogizing as a way of excusing oneself from having to do anything. Our world is too complex for any one person to have a real effect. But if all the sentimentalists would get off their collective asses, then maybe things would change.
I consider it hypocrisy when people eulogize King (or whoever), moan about what's happening to our society and to the environment, and then run off to Walmart or someplace similar that's having a big sale on something that they could do just as well without.
You haven't just misjudged, you've misread and made unwarranted assumptions.
6 - Michael J. West
I have to believe in one man (or woman) being able to make a difference.
I don't dispute that Dr. King made a difference...but ultimately, no matter how good the leader is, it's the people who follow his lead that make the difference.
King led the group that organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, but it took thousands of people consciously avoiding the buses for that boycott to work.
Perhaps he would have continued to inspire if he had lived, but his death is no excuse for letting his inspiration fall by the wayside. Because his work was ultimately made successful and great by the people...and the people are still here.
7 - Richard Brodie
Martin Luther King Day is racist. I don't think there should be any holidays for contemporary individuals, for two reasons:
1. It's wrong to single out one racial group for special recognition. Haven't there been Oriental Americans who have made valuable contributions? I guess maybe they just weren't as noisy, or didn't get as much media coverage. And what about the original inhabitants of this land, the American Indians? A Cochise Day, to commemorate the most famous Apache warrior to resist intrusions by whites in the 19th century would certainly be preferrable to a King Day.
2. Even among blacks, who decided that MLK was more worthy of being honored in this way than someone like G.W. Carver? Now there's a real American, someone didn't spend his life rabble-rousing for the government to try and regulate social attitudes and behaviors, but instead went about overcoming, on an individual level, the obstacles that stood in his way. Instead of the collective "WE shall overcome", here was a man whose infinitely more admiriable individualistic motto was "I will overcome."
The disgusting fact is, some idiot politicians wanted to set up King Day in order to try and ingratiate a particular ethnic minority. At the very least, don't you think it should be rotated between MLK, Jesse Jackson, and Louis Farrakhan?
8 - Anthony Grande
I am offended that MLK Day gets so much recongition and schools and banks close with it too.
Don't get me wrong MLK was a great man and he did great things (except for some adultry problems) but why does he and his day get so much respect and credit while the greatest Italian American and bravest man ever to live Christopher Columbus and his day gets nothing?
I don't even get Columbus Day off from school. They say "Oh, Martin Luther King Jr. was just for the blacks, he did everyone justice." Well, yeah, but didn't Columbus do something that benefited everyone in the world?
9 - Maurice
Michael #6
Amen. The people are still here. You could call MLK the catalyst that made the people act. Now that we have acted we must never forget.
Have a great MLK day everyone.
Maurice
10 - Victor Lana
Thanks to all for the comments.
In the end one man (or woman) makes a difference because he or she inspires others. If tens of thousands of Indians protested peacefully against the British because they were following Gandhi's lead, then that's a case of one man's difference. Of course it takes others; it always does.
Dr. King didn't do it all by himself, but he started the fire and others dipped their torches in his flames and lit the darkness.
And Anthony, Columbus Day is a national holiday: banks, schools, and stock markets close. New York City holds a huge parade. I don't see how (and I'm partially of Italian descent) this doesn't honor Columbus.
11 - Anthony Grande
That is funny Victor. I had to go to school on Columbus Day. Where is the honor?
12 - Silas Kain
It should be Emancipation Day celebrating the end of the Civil War, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the great Americans who went before us in the struggle for basic civil rights. Dr. King deserves many an accolade but we must never forget Malcom X, Medgar Evers and, most of all, Rosa Parks. In that spirit, we must work to achieve that equality which sees no race, gender or nationality as an impediment. It all sounds real pretty and we talk a great talk. The reality is we remain divided in this war of race and idealogy.
13 - Victor Lana
If that's the case, Anthony (your going to school on Columbus Day), then it's a matter to take up with your school. It is still a national holiday. Yesterday, despite that status for Dr. King's holiday, many people still had to work. I had a UPS delivery; I saw school buses (although much fewer than usual), and New York City Sanitation picked up the garbage.
Besides, the most important thing about a holiday is not having the day off but using it as a way to honor the person/day/concept/. For example, as a Catholic I don't get off for Ash Wednesday, so then it is up to me to go get ashes. On Election Day I have to work, so it is my choice to make sure I vote.
The thing is to be proactive. By the way, what do you do to honor Columbus on his day? On the other 364 days of the year?
14 - zingzing
i had to work yesterday, and it took me until lunch time to even realize that it was MLK day. the spot i wanted to go to for lunch was closed... on a monday... i didn't understand. then my friend reminded me that it was MLK day. next thing to come out of my mouth was, "well then, why the hell am i working?" which, of course, was not the right response.
even though i had to work, those of us who did have the day off from school or work should use that day, or at least some small part of it, to reflect on the changes that MLK set in motion. his contributions to american society were vastly important. they trancend race.
i don't think that bitching about other days you don't have off from school is the right response. neither is calling the day "racist." do you think that african-americans benefit from the day more than you do? certainly, they do not. well, they might, because they probably do reflect upon his contributions with deep thanks and thought. there are plenty of days that celebrate white americans. the very thought of calling MLK day "racist" is pretty damn racist already.
columbus' contributions to american society are more mercurial/debatable. did he discover america? up for grabs... did he even land in america? don't think so... what was he after? india... and more specifically, trade routes, and more specifically, monetary gain. his journey was hard and it was brave, but was it as hard or brave as MLK's? hell, no it wasn't.
15 - Victor Lana
Zing, your comments are an affirmation. Thanks. To call a day dedicated to Dr. King "racist" seems in and of itself a racist thing to say. This man was so dedicated to rights for all citizens that it must be understood that he was speaking for every American (even, amazingly, the bigots who hated him). The problem is some people heard him but weren't listening. That's really something we can't change but it is a sad thing indeed.
The key thing is to examine that "I Have a Dream" speech carefully (having taught lessons regarding it, I know it word by word). Dr. King includes everyone in "the dream" and indeed recognizes that anything less than that will be a failure.
Brave? Undeniably. A hero? Unquestionably.
16 - Richard Brodie
the very thought of calling MLK day "racist" is pretty damn racist already.
Well, I thought I made it pretty clear why it was not racist. But by now I'm getting pretty used to people not replying to my SPECIFIC points on this "discussion" site, but instead just coming back with nothing but an unresponsive, general negation of my position.
17 - Victor Lana
Okay, let's look at what Richard said specifically.
1. It's wrong to single out any racial group for special recognition.
Could be true if this were called Black Americans Day or Day Only for Black Americans. That is not the case. As I think I've noted in the post and my comments, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is something for all Americans, thus inherently not racist (though some may still perceive it to be).
2. Even among blacks, who decided that MLK was worthy of being honored?
It comes down to either believing in everything having an ulterior motive or not. Quite simply, in my estimation, many people (black and white) saw MLK as a heroic person, an exemplary figure who preached peace and justice and died for it. In my humble opinion, that makes him "worthy" of the day.
Richard also mentions that the holiday should be "rotated" to honor other blacks. Fair enough thought wise, but the problem again lies in motivation. Look what has happened to Washington and Lincoln's birthdays. These used to be individual holidays for the presidents celebrated on separate days; now we have President's Day which basically honors ALL former presidents. I don't know if this captures the essence of the day or not. I don't think many people are doing anything to honor Lincoln, Washington, or Grover Cleveland for that matter.
Unfortunately, it has become a day to boost lagging midwinter sales. It also kicks off a week long vacation for most schools. People aren't doing much to celebrate anything; they're out shopping or flying to Jamaica for sun and fun.
I think we run the risk of corrupting the very nature of holidays in general. By losing the meaning of their original intent, these days will become just days off with no substance. I don't think we want that for Dr. King's Day or any other holiday worthy of celebration.
18 - Richard Brodie
In a sense, Victor, you're correct. It is a day for all Americans - a sad day. King epitomizes the ultimate corruption of what this country once stood for. America was founded on the concept of individual rights. Civil rights are counterfeit rights.
The fundamental right to the pursuit of happiness, which primarily entails having the government leave you alone, has been corrupted into the antipathetic "right" to have an all-intrusive government try to guarantee that you will achieve happiness.
When men are free, there is always the risk that they will not achieve the happiness they want. And conversely when the government undertakes to attempt the impossible, and tries to guarantee that everyone will achieve happiness, we wind up being neither free, nor happy. Men who value liberty don't mind accepting the risk of failure, in order to be free to pursue happiness in their own way.
King also represents the corruption of language that always accompanies the destruction of noble political ideals. Before him "discrimination" wasn't a dirty word. To be discriminating in one's taste still carries a vestige of positive connotation, but it has now become primarily a perjorative term. It started out as a synonym for discernment, the ability to see or make fine distictions - the quintessential defining characteristic of rational intelligence.
But consider its new meaning - treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit. In order to prove to the government that you do not discriminate, an employer, educational institution, etc. winds up having to ignore individual merit and reject applicants of greater merit, based on their status as members of the majority class, in favor of someone of lesser merit from a minority class. In other words, in order not to discriminate you have to discriminate! This is a perfect example of what Ayn Rand aptly calls "cannabalistic" concepts. Martin Luther King day is the celebration of an epistemological disaster.
19 - Andy Marsh
It's my understanding that in some southern states it's actually called King Lee Jackson Day.
20 - zingzing
richard brodie, #16: "Well, I thought I made it pretty clear why it was not racist. But by now I'm getting pretty used to people not replying to my SPECIFIC points on this "discussion" site, but instead just coming back with nothing but an unresponsive, general negation of my position."
richard brodie, #7: "Martin Luther King Day is racist."
zingzing, #20: "i generally negate your position, and this is a response. end of discussion."
21 - zingzing
richard, what the hell are you talking about? "an epistemological disaster?" who the fuck cares? because of MLK, black people can use the same bathroom as white people, they don't get lynched for whistling at a white woman, they can vote without the threat of violence, they can sit anywhere they goddamn choose, they are FREE.
oooh, the word "discriminate" leaves a bad taste in your mouth? jesus, what about every other word that you say?
and that crap about civil rights being counterfeit? yeah, maybe to you, white man, but i guarantee that no black man in 1963 was thinking, "jeez, what'll happen to my pursuit of happiness when those policemen stop aiming water cannons at my body and attack dogs aren't knawing at my legs? what'll my happiness think when i can sit eat where i choose? what'll happen when i can admire that white lady without getting beaten into a pulp and dropped at the bottom of a river with a stove tied around my neck? hmm... better reconsider this..."
i want to call you many different, foul names.
22 - zingzing
oh yeah, there are inherant problems with affirmative action. it is a bit... unfair in it's own way. but, so are the hiring and admission practices of many companies and institutions. so, it's a necessary evil.
america's pre-civil rights treatment of minorities was not necessary, it was just evil.
23 - Richard Brodie
i want to call you many different, foul names.
Is this your reaction to ALL people who don't trot along with you, mouthing the conventional wisdom, or is it reserved only for those who can articulate a maddeningly coherent opposing position.
(and BTW, does #21 represent a continuation of the ended discussion?)
24 - zingzing
no, it's not my reaction to all people who don't trot along with me. just people spouting off bull. your "maddeningly coherant opposing position" is nearly racist. i won't say "racist," but that's only because i don't think you would have the balls to say this shit to a black person. tell me you would, and i'll believe you are a racist. tell me you wouldn't, and i'll believe you are just letting shit fall out of your mouth.
i was ending the discussion on whether or not you called MLK day racist. you did.
25 - Bennett
Richard wrote that Dr. King "spent his life rabble-rousing for the government to try and regulate social attitudes and behaviors."
Hmmm. Lynchings. Needed fixin'. The white southerners weren't doing it, so King correctly realized that peaceful demonstrations were necessary to change both the laws, and the general (white) publics perception of what rights our Constitution guaranteed to EVERY American.
By using the phrase "rabble rousing" you clearly show your true character.
The "rabble" was made up of hard working Americans, black AND white. People who shared a dream of equal rights and justice for Americans of ALL colors.
A belief you obviously do not share.