Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

Forty Years ago this evening.
One shot. He was dead. He died trying to help those take a step up for themselves. I find it striking that today we still have no voice, no leader. No one to help lead the cause of non-violent civil disobedience. One shot.

I myself would love to tell you I miss the man. I cannot. I was a mere 7 months old when he was slain. As I grew up I found myself more and more drawn to his legacy: his teaching, the entire civil Rights movement in America... from there it led to a fascinating journey that showed me how tolerant and intolerant we really are -- still -- today as a nation. We are still a very divided nation. We still have a long way to go.

On one hand, in current events, we still are having a conversation about Reverend Wright... And no one is discussing those on the right who espouse the hatred that they themselves say they denounce. Pat Buchanan, just the other day took up the same mantra that the KKK used in the 1950's to fight against integration in the nation, saying that Blacks should be grateful they were brought here to this country. Bill O'Reilly has advocated the bombing of a major American city. We know the lists. We know the outrage.

Many have heard barely a peep about this. Most would not believe it. We have politicians fear-mongering still about the religion of Keith Ellison... Those same people wish to have their religion put upon a pedestal, for all to drink in. And barely a peep from those who believe in equality for all. Equality does not have a color, a race, a religion or a political agenda... And yet, we those who believe these things still allow others to set that agenda, by making equality about all those things, in order to make some people more equal that others. No one is more equal than another.

Is it just the media? No, I do not think so. I think it is all of us. We allow those to espouse intolerance and injustice to continue on with a platform of ignorance and bigotry...sometimes pure hatred, while we allow those who dare to speak out, no matter HOW uncomfortable it may be, to be silenced.

This is not what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Died for. He lived to give EVERYONE a voice, and he lived to make sure people were never afraid to use that voice. It is time that we stop allowing those who DO speak for righteousness and tolerance and true equality and poverty and education and freedom to EVER be afraid of speaking out. Pay close attention... voices are being silenced.

MLK, was stabbed, threatened, firebombed, arrested, beat... and he still kept walking... We must follow in that tradition of non violent civil disobedience. WE have to do better in this country. That responsibility is ours. It should begin with us. We have a long way to go.


:peace: and
Raine