During the darkest times, I believe Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. would want us to focus on what we are capable of at our best, rather than
at our worst.
Nine years ago, a mere forty-odd years after Dr. King fought
and died for the right for people of color to vote, and to live in dignity, the
United States inaugurated a black man to the Presidency – not just a black man,
but the son of a mixed marriage – which was still illegal in some states in King’s
time.
Then, four years later, we
reelected him.
We who supported President Obama—and I’d like to think that
many who opposed him—did so, not because of the color of his skin, but for of
the content of his character (and his policies). Dr. King dedicated his life, and gave his
last full measure of devotion to help steer this country to a place where this
would be possible.
Yes, we are back to a bleak time in our history, when hatred,
prejudice and intolerance are again expressed openly. But we need not look that far back to see a
time when we were guided by the better angels of our nature, and take heart
that we might soon return to that. Dr.
King shared this from Theodore Parker, “Let us realize the arc of the moral
universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
In times like today, this should give us hope – but we must remember,
that arc doesn’t bend itself; it bends toward justice only when people of good
will grab the end of that sucker, pull it toward justice, and won’t let go, no
matter what.
I wish you all a happy, thoughtful, and grateful Martin
Luther King Junior Day.
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