Never forget Martin Luther King's message of peace
By: Matt Schirano
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: Ed-Op
Originally published: 3/2/07 at 10:28 AM EST
Last update: 3/2/07 at 10:28 AM EST
Originally published: 3/2/07 at 10:28 AM EST
Last update: 3/2/07 at 10:28 AM EST
The sad part of Martin Luther King's life is that just as much as he embodied the way a loving person should act towards another, his death was an embodiment of how those with violent dispositions act towards fellow men. It is hard for people who want a world of peace to rally the troops and start a successful movement because their goal is something as silent as peace. Peace is not disheartening to its enemies as much as death is to lovers of peace. That is why the death of a leader like Martin Luther King can completely extinguish a movement.
But Dr. King fully understood the strong will of those who harbor hate in their lives. They do not want to see the extinguishment of hate-breeding concepts such as racism. In his last speech, "I See the Promised Land," he eloquently expressed his faith that peace would eventually conquer evil, whether or not he was alive to see it.
"Like anybody, I would like to live a long life," he said. "Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land."
What we need to do is understand what he was saying. He was not telling us to watch idly for peace to slowly overcome evil. What he wanted was for us to see his example, and make it a part of our own lives. It does not even necessarily require a massive movement, though one would be helpful to speed things along. All it requires is that each one of us promises to ourselves that we will not contribute to the spread of hatred. Feelings of anger and aggression are a part of our instincts, but it can be minimized so it doesn't dominate our feelings toward each other.
As we leave Black History Month, and people stop thinking about Martin Luther King Jr. like they put away their Halloween decorations in November, I wanted to at least give him a strong farewell. His message has too many implications today to be sequestered only to his contributions to the civil rights movement.
Right here was where I was going to relate his message of love to America in the Iraq War, but I realized taking sides would probably be something Martin Luther King Jr. wouldn't do. Love and compassion on both sides of the conflict could avoid bloodshed and the death of what's coming close to 100,000 people. Don't believe me? Well, maybe John Lennon said it best: "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one."
But Dr. King fully understood the strong will of those who harbor hate in their lives. They do not want to see the extinguishment of hate-breeding concepts such as racism. In his last speech, "I See the Promised Land," he eloquently expressed his faith that peace would eventually conquer evil, whether or not he was alive to see it.
"Like anybody, I would like to live a long life," he said. "Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land."
What we need to do is understand what he was saying. He was not telling us to watch idly for peace to slowly overcome evil. What he wanted was for us to see his example, and make it a part of our own lives. It does not even necessarily require a massive movement, though one would be helpful to speed things along. All it requires is that each one of us promises to ourselves that we will not contribute to the spread of hatred. Feelings of anger and aggression are a part of our instincts, but it can be minimized so it doesn't dominate our feelings toward each other.
As we leave Black History Month, and people stop thinking about Martin Luther King Jr. like they put away their Halloween decorations in November, I wanted to at least give him a strong farewell. His message has too many implications today to be sequestered only to his contributions to the civil rights movement.
Right here was where I was going to relate his message of love to America in the Iraq War, but I realized taking sides would probably be something Martin Luther King Jr. wouldn't do. Love and compassion on both sides of the conflict could avoid bloodshed and the death of what's coming close to 100,000 people. Don't believe me? Well, maybe John Lennon said it best: "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one."
brian stiglmeier
posted 3/02/07 @ 1:55 PM EST
Just a historical footnote to Mr Schirano's excellent piece on Dr. King. For someone who was born almost 2 decades after his death, Mr Schirano's understanding and perceptiveness is quite adnirable, not to mention refreshing. (Continued…)