Jason Espada: What Would Martin Luther King Think of Our World Today?

This piece from three years ago continues to touch my heart and soul and remains deeply relevant to today. Thank you again, Jason Espada. May we absorb these truths and join together as planetary sisters and brothers who are committed to being beacons of truth, justice, peace, light, and love. This is my deepest prayer. 🙏 Molly

 Luther King addresses crowds during the March On Washington at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, where he gave his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

By JASON ESPADA

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!

From A Buddhism for Progressives - Inspiration for Activist