Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."  --  Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Note:  The following quotes in this post are all attributed to Dr. King.  Don't just read them; think about them, and try to understand them.  Go online and take his day to read more of what he thought, then ask yourself:  Is this the "message" being repeated by those that have come after, or do they take the message out of context for their own agendas?  I think you will find these people wanting.

I think that Dr. King died before he could figure out how to make people listen to him.  Oh, I think plenty of people heard him; very few people listened to him.  I don't mean to say people ignored what the heard; they just didn't listen to the message hard enough to truly understand it.  The African-American segment of society praised what they heard, and celebrated his life then, and now.  They all say they heard his words, as do many whites throughout the world.  They heard him, but they did not listen; they did not pay attention.  Who is at fault for this, the white man?  The black?  Mankind has never listened very well.  We have historically listened and not understood.

Until those of all colors in this world refuse to buy into the philosophy that their own leaders spoon feed them daily, the idea that they can blame everyone else for their lack of incentive to forge ahead to a better life, nothing will change.  If you believe the white man is holding the black man down then ask yourself who is holding down white man?  It's the same people; the white man just can't use the race card.  And, if you feel you are being held back, black or white, then do something other than whine about it and stop waiting for the government to do it for you.  No one can help you except you.  You can't save the poor from themselves any more than you can make a slackard want to work.  You either want it or not, and if you aren't willing to work for it, then shut the hell up and wallow silently in this pool of self-pity you seem so comfortable with.

"I look to the day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." 

You are what you are because you want to be.  If you believe yourself to be po' black trash or white trailer trash, you are the trash you desire to be.  If you want to lead your life speaking like you have no education, you will live your life sounding like some movie stereotype of an ignorant person - stupid.  If you want to act like a "gangsta" you will probably die like a gangsta.  It is bad enough that the black man holds himself back of his own volition, but when white kids without their own identity insist on emulating this ignorance, where does this leave any of us when we have young black and white teens talking ghetto speak, wearing baggy jeans down around their thighs, walking around with all the upright pride and respect of a wet noodle, and all the while wondering why they're being held back.  Look in the mirror and ask yourself if this is as much self-respect you have to offer.  If you like the answer -- you are what you are, and you have nobody to blame your own dumb ass self.  Or, you can try to be something better; something more than the sack of hammers your own people, believing in their ability to keep you stupid, have damned you to be.  Stand up and tell them they're wrong!  Scream it loudly so that "all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause."

"If a man is to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry.  He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

The key to success is not blaming everybody else for your inability to succeed!

President Obama would be happy to have the poor stay poor, and ignorant, while making promises he never has any intention of keeping.  It is all about maintaining control and a voting base for life.  White politicians in the south, courting the black vote, learned this lesson early on.  Then there are minority leaders that essentially do the same thing.  Some do it very subtly; others are blatant because they truly believe no one sees it. Oprah Winfrey, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, all these black leaders would have you believe they put the best interest of their people first.  In so far as it keeps them in the news and makes a buck, this is probably true.  Yet, it is in fueling the fires of misinformation, ignorance and hate that they make their money and stay in the lime light.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at time of challenge and controversy." 

For Dr. King, never had there been a time so crucial to the ending of racism throughout, not only America, but the rest of the world, and none of them listened to his message.  Look at what these leaders I've listed above have acted like, and see if they measure up to Dr. King's desires for love, understanding, forgiveness.; oh, sorry, sounds like teachings of the Christ.  Don't forget that two of the black leaders flaunt the title of Reverend.   It is easy to see how one could accuse black leaders today of having learned the lessons of slave holders well. They have become the new shackles binding their own people to a new, insidious, slavery put upon them by their own people.  Lies and deceit are so much easier to maintain when you have a "captive" audience.

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."

Now think about Jesus.  In Dr. King we had a leader with such charisma that even the whites were paying attention, yet no one listened.  In Jesus we had a leader with such charisma that he almost changed the world, almost.  Everyone was hearing, but so few were listening.  It continues to this day.  When the followers of great men lose the message of those men in the clutter selfish agendas, the great may become immortalized while the deep meaning of their message is forgotten.

"Ten thousand fools proclaim themselves into obscurity, while one man forgets himself into immortality."

My mother was born and raised in Mississippi.  Nothing made her angrier than racism and bigotry.  She left Mississippi to escape it, and returned later in her life to bask in the, almost, 180 degree change in attitude.  She made sure I grew up accepting people for who they were, not what they were.  I was taught to accept folks on merit, desire, and ability, and not to have preconceptions.  This latter idea is the most difficult, especially when those you are trying to look upon as equals are trying just as hard to prevent it.  This is not just true with race; it encompasses religion, gender, sexual orientation, and the physically handicapped.  When people stop thinking of each other as different and start celebrating our similarities, it will become easier for us to find common ground for peace, love, and acceptance.

Again, this is just my opinion and I'm sure there will be people out there that would rather take umbrage at it than embrace the spirit of Dr. King's message to all of us.  Sadly, it is expected. 

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.