One Side
Three days ago a man was born who, by sheer character and determination, brought about profound social change and gripped America’s hearts forever. This day is Martin Luther King’s birthday; a day of mourning, celebration and realization. A leader such as this who changed American society and opportunity for not just blacks but all races. There are many things I love about Dr. King Jr. and there are things that sadden me. Before I continue let me have the honor of giving you a brief history of his life and works:
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia and was the single most prominent leader of the African American civil rights movement. Dr. King had a Baptist affiliation and is even considered a martyr by two Christian churches. Dr. King started his civil rights career at a young age and led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and helped establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. Mr. King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace prize. In 1963 Dr. King led the March on Washington where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech and subsequently became one of the best speakers in U.S. history. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis Tennessee. After his death Dr. King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was dedicated as a U.S. holiday in 1986 signed by President George Bush Sr.
The Other
Perhaps the most important aspect of Dr. King’s message was his non-violent approach. He was inspired by Gandhi after he visited him, in India, in 1959. Another man named Rustin also had a profound influence on Dr King’s life. Rustin was an open homosexual who supported democratic socialism and had ties to the Communist Party USA. This in turn alarmed many white and African-American leaders who insisted that Dr King distance himself from Rustin. Now Dr King was all about social change, not only in terms of rights but also financially. Dr King stated many times the importance of a strong government “compensation” program to help the poor and needy of all races “It should benefit the disadvantaged of all races.” More on the reasoning of Dr King’s beliefs on compensation you can research on your own. But I want to get to Dr Kings opposition of the Vietnam War of which I strongly disagree with almost to anger. On April 4, 1967 Dr King gave a speech at the New York City Riverside Church called “Beyond Vietnam.” In this speech Dr King states the U.S role as strictly “to occupy it as an American colony.” Sound familiar to anyone? He also stated the U.S. government as being “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” Also, he criticized the government for spending too much on military and not enough on social welfare services. Again, sound familiar to anyone? Perhaps the most troubling and heartbreaking quote from Dr King was this regarding our men of service in Vietnam killing a million Vietnamese “mostly children.” Now you can debate the strategies of Vietnam as horrible, which many of them were, but I know our sole purpose there was to help a democratic nation resist an oppressive communist government backed by Russia. I believe by the end of Dr King’s life he had sadly degraded into the post American era agenda that we are seeing today. No doubt the works of Dr King were imperative to our success as a nation following his life. I believe every race, as long as they are legal citizens, should bathe in the glory of freedom and have the same opportunities as anyone else in this United States of America.
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