What
would Martin Luther King think of our world today? If I could meet
him now, and spend a few hours talking with him, I’d want to tell
him of all that’s happened since 1968, both here in the USA, and in
the world.
I’d
tell him that the Vietnam war finally ended in 1975, in large part
due to massive anti war protests;
I’d
tell him that before the war there ended, that Nixon and Kissinger
ordered an unprecedented bombing of that country, Cambodia, and Laos;
I’d
tell him of the right wing take over of our country, starting in 1980
with Reagan;
I’d
tell him of our America’s continued militarism since then, in
Central America, and in the Middle East;
and
I’d tell him of two stolen elections;
I’d
want to tell him of the great, world wide, pre-war, anti war protests
of 2003, with millions of people participating,
and
that they didn’t stop Bush and Cheney from going to war against the
people of Iraq;
I’d
want him to know that in 2008 we elected an African American
president, a man who ran holding up of many of the ideals of Dr. King
himself, but who then turned his back on progressive values;
I’d
tell him this is something quite a few people on the left are still
sorting out…
I’d
tell him that in 2016 the country took another step backward, and
elected someone who shows many of the worst qualities of people here
- someone who is a racist, a misogynist, a rapacious capitalist, and
a narcissist;
I’d
also want to tell him of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and of the
peaceful, non-violent revolutions that took place in the Philippines,
the Czech Republic, and South Africa;
I’d
tell him that Nelson Mandela was released from Robbin Island prison
after 27 years there, became president of his country, and won the
Nobel Peace Prize;
and
then I’d try to tell him about our world now,
about
the internet, and all that’s made possible;
I’d
tell him about Seva, and Kiva, and Buy-a-net.ca, which distributes
life saving mosquito nets in Africa, for about 5 dollars a net;
I’d
want to tell him about Grameen Bank, too, and micro-finance;
I’d
tell him about the extent of this country’s militarism, and how
it’s much worse now than it was;
I’d
tell him about the power of multi-national corporations, their effect
in the world, and how it’s much worse now than it was;
I’d
tell him about the gap between rich and poor, and people’s
estrangement from one another;
I’d
try to tell him about the present level of political corruption in
America, and people’s despair and doubt that things can change, and
how these are much worse now than they were back then;
I’d
tell him about Occupy,
and
about the mass deceptions of the media, and how it’s much worse now
than it ever was before;
I
feel certain that he’d listen and understand all this; that he’d
likely be amazed, as we all are by some of it, and that he’d say we
must not give up. I’m also sure he’d give us the encouragement we
need.
“Let
me close by saying that we have difficult days ahead in the struggle
for justice and peace, but I will not yield to a politic of despair.
I’m going to maintain hope as we come to Washington in this
campaign. The cards are stacked against us. This time we will really
confront a Goliath. God grant that we will be that David of truth set
out against the Goliath of injustice, the Goliath of neglect, the
Goliath of refusing to deal with the problems, and go on with the
determination to make America the truly great America that it is
called to be.
I’m
sure he would say, O, Keep your eyes on the prize – hold
on! , because
In
the end, there is the creation of the beloved community…‘one
great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide world’
Remember!
Dr. King is our native born light, fully human, our own saint, and
his legacy to us is more even than the great contribution he made to
Civil Rights. Great as that was, his real gift to us is what
continues now in those of us that would see this become a more just
world. When we recall and are inspired by that life, then that very
same courage, strength and clarity helps us to take the next step,
from wherever we are now. And amen to that!, I say again, Amen to
that!
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