On the MLK Anniversary

 
This week's schedule has prevented me from keeping up with all posting potentialities, but I did want to broach the subject of Martin Luther King Jr., his life and legacy.

First of all, I'll start right off by warning that some might not agree with me. Fortunately, my platform is rather small so it doesn't matter what I think, anyway...heh, heh.

Secondly, I'm a 49-year-old white woman, living in the middle of a cornfield, in a state not known for it's racial diversity. I won't attempt to make astute comments on the status of racial tensions in America. I was nine when Martin Luther King was assassinated, so I do remember the event. I recall my mother telling me in the kitchen the following morning, and that he had been considered the leader of black people in the United States.

There was a certain tone to her voice causing me to understand it was a very big deal, even though I was not much older than Nolan is, right now.

Thirdly, I want all my children who are 13 or older, to read this link on the BBC News site. To the right of the page and slightly down, under "SEE ALSO" are six more links...I want you to read all of those, too. One contains the "I Have a Dream Speech."

All this is a part of our history and you should be acquainted with it, familiar with the salient points, and hopefully have a general idea of what the man stood for and what our country was experiencing during that time period.

And its interesting and refreshing to get the perspective of a news organization which doesn't always portray America as the Center of the Universe.

Fourthly, I think it's time some Conservative Christians get down off their high horse. Yes, I'm talking to me.

I readily admit that in the past, I have been influenced by people who have dismissed the good work of a famous person, simply because that person had certain moral failings. I've exhibited an attitude of superiority in talking about specific people in the past and in the present, as if anything they did, aside from their particular fall from grace, had no meaning whatsoever.

Alas, there is not one of us who can pass this test. Each of us has our secret struggle with sin. And while glossing over the negative is equally uncalled for, forever linking someone solely to their indiscretions is a disservice and a cheap shot.

I fully acknowledge mankind's inheritance of the sin nature. But I'd like to think our task in life includes more than neatly dividing up every person and historical event into two categories:

liberal vs. conservative,
right vs. wrong,
north vs. south, or
black vs. white.

So I'm sorry I missed the boat with the older kids, in not taking time to teach about Martin Luther King.

I hope to rectify that in the future.

Perhaps today can be a start.
 

Tweet