What would Martin do?
In honor of the MLK Day holiday, I’d like to ask Proviso Probe readers no to be shitty to each other for one day. In the words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all get along?” Or at least, can’t we refrain from writing anything disrespectful about each other for a day?
I read on a blog onetime that conservatives are worshippers of safely dead radicals. Conservatives cherry pick what they want to hear from the message of Jesus, the “founding fathers” and, now, Martin Luther King.
If King remained alive today, he wouldn’t be hanging out at the church talking about “glory days”.
King would push us to do more to make our society better.
I picked-up a copy of Neighbors and paged through it. It included an article to remember King’s accomplishments. If King were alive in Melrose Park, he’d thank Tina Valentino, the publisher of Neighbors, for her kind words, but call her to investigate the brutality, abuses and indignities perpetrated by the Melrose Park Police Department against the Latino community.
Recognizing that Jim Crow segregation was wrong is pretty safe in suburban Chicago in 2005. But what about the informal ways society is segregated and divided against itself? What about the way the politically powerful exploit these divisions?
I read on a blog onetime that conservatives are worshippers of safely dead radicals. Conservatives cherry pick what they want to hear from the message of Jesus, the “founding fathers” and, now, Martin Luther King.
If King remained alive today, he wouldn’t be hanging out at the church talking about “glory days”.
Picture an old King saying, “Hey, you whippersnappers, did I ever tell you about Selma? I gave a pretty good speech at the Lincoln Memorial, y’know?”
“Yes, sir, Dr. King. You’ve told us.”
King would push us to do more to make our society better.
I picked-up a copy of Neighbors and paged through it. It included an article to remember King’s accomplishments. If King were alive in Melrose Park, he’d thank Tina Valentino, the publisher of Neighbors, for her kind words, but call her to investigate the brutality, abuses and indignities perpetrated by the Melrose Park Police Department against the Latino community.
Recognizing that Jim Crow segregation was wrong is pretty safe in suburban Chicago in 2005. But what about the informal ways society is segregated and divided against itself? What about the way the politically powerful exploit these divisions?
posted by Carl Nyberg at
5:23 PM
4 Comments:
Good post Carl. May Martin Luther King's life inspire us all.
By
K3KVE, at 6:58 PM, January 16, 2006
No man is a prophet in his own time. If MLK, JFK or RFK had live to a ripe old age, I’m sure the modern media would have eventually ripped them to shreds. As it stands, by dying a martyr’s death, their ideals shall stand for a good long time. A couple of good examples of this are Ted Kennedy and Jesse Jackson Sr.
By
Anonymous, at 1:02 PM, January 17, 2006
King would tell State Representitive Yarbrourgh and her supporters,the 209 minority and 89 and 88 minority party,the great Arnie Bryant ,DOC, and all those freedom lovers risking all for the good of the whole community to Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.'' MLK is with us,with Yarbrough, with Bryant fighting against the Slavery of the Plantation Politics of Eugene Moore and Chris Welch!
By
Anonymous, at 7:28 PM, January 18, 2006
Note to Tina Valentino: you not only changed Margaret Mead's name to "Margaret Wood", you mangled the quote too.
Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Valentino's version is:
"Make no mistake, as Margaret Wood [sic] wrote, that 'a few caring people can't change the world. For indeed that's all who ever have.'"
By
Carl Nyberg, at 1:44 PM, January 19, 2006
Post a Comment
<< Home