XX (POST BEFORE JAN 15) - Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Destruction of a Dream (Updated from 1/4/2015)

"But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."

-- Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963

I keep harping on the fact that we do not learn from history.  I also continually berate the education system of this country for tainting that history they do teach with personal and political agenda.  We are struggling with racial division again in this country.  It once again it seems to be a political agenda.  Some would say it is fostered by a racist administration, which seems hell bent on keeping the back man down, and by the personal agenda of rioters, looters, and violent protesters, that have forgotten the words of Reverend King, one of the greatest men in the fight for equal rights.  They have all either forgotten or never been taught, and if they were never taught these words, shame on the parents, ministers and leaders of the black communities.

"In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds."

--MLK

Al Sharpton and other "leaders" seem to foster racism and hatred for their own profit.  Shame on them that dare to mention Reverend King's name in their divisive diatribe, and shame on those daring to preface your name with "Reverend," for there is certainly nothing to revere about the hatred and violence they preach to those ignorant masses that would follow.  They have become the KKK of the black community.  They have literally met the enemy, and it is them.

"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."

-- MLK

Today we witness protests against the rule of law which Dr. King had so much hope for.  We watch as a city burns because of a black criminal, a bully that had no respect for human rights or the law.; a bully and a thief that fought a police officer for a gun and ended up dead for his effort.  Is the hero black culture now worships?  A city burns and the black community is poorer for it.

"We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline."

-- MLK

We listen on the news to chants, cries for the killing of police officers, regardless of color.  We watch as two officers, an Asian and a Latino are gunned down while sitting in their cruiser.  We watch as they are buried by grieving family.  Innocent police officers that put their lives at risk daily for ALL of our citizens must now be on high alert for cowardly assassins that are so much worse than the police they seek to punish.  And to what end?  What is gained for the shameful actions of cowards?

"We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence."

-- MLK

The black community, the rich black culture in America, backslides fifty years, and the dream of a great man burns with the community, at the hands of his own people.  Where is the justice in this?  Where is the justice when all people of color are once again judged by not only the color of their skin, but for their condoning of violence against innocence?  Where is the justice when they are judged as condoning the blatant ignoring of our country's laws which were put in place for the express purpose of protecting people of all color?  Where, now, is the justice and equality dreamt of by this great man?  Why is his dream for everyone being destroyed by the very people he sought to help?  History is repeating and it would seem some are content to change the color of the sheets.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

-- MLK

I have a dream.  I dream that people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will fade in our memory.  I have a dream that our politicians will stop using the "race card" at every turn.  I have a dream that we will all start taking responsibility for our own lives and stop blaming others for our shortcomings and our inability to move forward and to grow.  I have a dream that we will stop using race as an excuse for violence, ignorance, unemployment, welfare, entitlements, and financial status.  I have a dream that all people of color will stop listening to other people of color just because of their color, and start listening to them because they make some damned sense. 

January 19 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  How about we do something novel and actually discuss what he was all about?  How about we try practicing some of what he preached?  How about we talk to our children and get them involved on the computer?  How about having them pull up some research on this man and talk with them about what they find?  How about we start shunning racists of ALL colors for the hatred they preach?  How about we try to move forward again and stop listening to those that would move us all back to a darker time?

God Bless Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., all he stood for, and all he tried to accomplish.  Bless his family for standing firm to his philosophies while confronting those who would use his name for their own selfish agenda.  Shame on those that are purposefully destroying his dream for a nation in order to fill their own pockets and forward their own careers, and shame on those people of color who have shown short memories, and on those that failed to teach their children and grandchildren the words of a great man who died winning them a chance at something better.

Maybe it is time to march on Washington again, lest we all forget history and what strides have been made peacefully toward liberty and racial equality.  Perhaps it is time to refresh everyone's memory.  In the words of Thomas Jefferson:

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.  It is its natural manure."

Today all we smell is the stench of divisive bullshit; the rotting corpse of racism that is better left buried.  I think liberty must also be refreshed by reminding everyone what has been fought for, and won, at great loss of life.  Racial equality has cost all of us the lives of three great men, and many lesser foot soldiers, black and white.  Now some dare to throw that which was so very expensive to win, in the very face of the man that led his people to victory.  Three assassinations of great men it has cost this country in the past and, today, mob violence demands the assassination of innocent police officers to satiate the ignorant bloodlust of vengeance in misplaced honor of two criminals who should have done what they were told to do.  Instead, these two "men" chose the low road and paid the price for not respecting the laws we all have to live by, while I'm accused of having "white privilege" by some entitlement junkie that might make something of themselves if they'd stop whining about all the free crap we give them for nothing in return.  Maybe if we all acted equal we might find some common ground.  But then, maybe it's just me.

Where does the insanity stop?

I think Reverend King would be heartbroken at how far the faithful have fallen, at how little we have learned, and how much of what he preached has been forgotten.

But, this is all just my humble opinion.  I could be wrong.

"Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical with soul force."

-- MLK

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 view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, 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 an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a 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 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages 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 personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com