Today the
memory of a man who gave up his life for his ideals is commemorated.
We,
as a nation, were slowly beginning what would be a long road to emotional
recovery (some folk say that perhaps it
has not been fully attained yet), trying to understand the wounds self inflicted
during the Viet Nam “incident”; a non-declared war which a congress that was
too afraid to act, allowed to go on under very restrictive conditions for our
guys. These conditions, like fighting with one arm tied behind your back, I am
sure cost many additional lives for our side. The relatively new magic picture box
brought this war and all its attending horror right into our living rooms; it
was the first televised war. Dinner theater for the hardy of heart and stomach.
In
the middle of these rumblings, where going to study at most any university meant
undergoing a course in civil disobedience, a voice trying to preach reason was
being heard. It was a voice that called for unity, for loving one another, for
forgiveness, for working together to forge a new and better nation; a voice
that called for the equality of man, regardless of race or creed. It was a
voice that talked about a dream, a dream of equality in truth, not words. When
all is said and done, it was a voice that actually took the heart and soul of
the written constitution of this country and brought it back looking to make it
a living reality, not just a living document.
It
was a time of fear for many; the world was not turning as it normally did.
Society itself was upside down, there was the fear of civil unrest in our
country... something which had not been lived in several generations.
I,
along with many others, heard his call. We believed that the social experiment
that started this great nation would not be complete until all within had the
same rights. Conversely, those rights carried responsibilities and all who
wanted to enjoy the good side had to understand that these last had to be
respected as well.
Dr.
King Jr., as we know, was a preacher by training, calling and lifestyle. He was
good, very good at communicating and at presenting a message with fire and joy.
His call was convincing; even today, when I hear one of his speeches, it turns
my heart. He believed in his message and so preached it with that inner
conviction that only comes from absolute trust and confidence in what you are bringing forward for others to hear.
As
many other who have gone against the grain of society in difficult times, Dr.
King eventually paid the ultimate price: his life. As with the Kennedy assassination, many
theories were brought forward and none were proven beyond doubt. The end result
was that a martyr was born but, as with most martyrs, the cause for which he
died lost steam. Until several years passed, additional riots took place, and more general
unrest was lived.
Eventually,
his message began to be heard again and inroads were made in what was then a different
environment; one more willing to listen and to change. Those who, in the intervening years took up his
cry and tried to run with it, fell short. The shoes to be filled were just much
too big. Some came from the cloth, as was Dr. King and some came from the
streets. For the most part, they had too much baggage to be credible preaching a message of peace
and unity and failed miserably. For a while, not much was heard until his widow took the standard, albeit reluctantly at first. She did hang
on to the remnants of a dream that was drifting in the winds of societal woes
but which, at the same time, had somehow managed to hold together its core
message.
A
voice crying in the wilderness; a voice which forced a nation to stop and take
notice. Today this bit of American history is remembered in a holiday that, in
its own approval process, created somewhat of a stir. Nothing, even in death, was easy
for the message or the messenger.
Remember
him, for he was (and still is…) a social messenger. We may or not agree with
someone’s call, but when a dedicated life is lead in honest accord with the
message being preached, even in the face of extreme hardship, the messenger has
to be respected and yes, admired.
Be
Well … Be Back!!!
Final Notes:
- Pray for those who are fighting an illness which
may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and
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… Bienvenidos!!!
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