Martin Luther King Day
Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Day. I ran across a well written article by Carolyn Garris that I recommend everyone read in its entirety. Take a few moments and remember, if you can, how racism once so divided our nation that we were, quite literally, at war with ourselves, and how King carried the banner of unification that ultimately led us to the better America we enjoy today. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Martin Luther King, Jr. was no stalwart conservative, yet his core beliefs, such as the power and necessity of faith-based association and self-government based on absolute truth and moral law, are profoundly conservative. Modern liberalism rejects these ideas, while conservatives place them at the center of their philosophy. Despite decades of its appropriation by liberals, King’s message was fundamentally conservative.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, triggered by Rosa Parks’ refusal to abide by local segregation laws, sparked King’s rise from ministering a small church in Montgomery to national renown. King’s primary aim was not to change laws, but to change people, to make neighbors of enemies and a nation out of divided races. King led with love, not racial hatred. From a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, his message inspired the nation. And his message and achievements inspire us today.
Dr. King believed in the principles of the American Founding. He maintained, “We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom.” Throughout American history, racism has posed a peculiar obstacle to the achievement of that goal. However, Dr. King believed that the Founders had set the nation on the right course. He did not reject the principles of our nation because contradictions existed; instead he hoped that racial groups would put aside their differences and acknowledge the principles that unite all Americans. Today, it is conservatives who seek to unite. In a nation divided by cultural diversity, conservatives defend and celebrate the characteristics that we share as Americans. As America drifts from the ideas and ideals of the Founders, conservatives stand with King as believers that the principles of the American Founding are as relevant today as in 1776…More
Remember that today isn’t just another day off. It stands for something important in our nation’s history, a time when we made a wrong turn and yet managed to find our way back. It’s a day to celebrate just how far we’ve come since then.
Doug
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Reader Comments (8)
If you haven't listened to Kings's "I have a dream" speech in a while, here is a link to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk
Still inspiring today.
A well written article if a little political.
Political? Because the auther identifies with some of King's conservative ideals? I don't see politics here.
Garris sees similarities between our Founders' and King's core values. The fact that they are also conservative values doesn't make her article political.
Not everything is politically motivated nor political is scope.
Doug
Then why mention "conservative values" if she wasn't making a politically biased statenment?
Let it go. This day is to honor the memory of Dr. King. I see nothing in the article that is contrary to the message of MLK.
If you choose to see a political agenda in everything you read, that's fine. Just save it for another day.
I remember when only a handful of people celebrated this holiday and thought Reagan was nuts for signing it into law. I worked today, but the expressways and streets were pretty empty. Most people close now.
Unfortunately, too many see it as just another day off. Thanks for your post reminding everyone why we should celebrate it.
I hope everyone had a nice MLK Day. I had to work but a lot of businesses were closed.
I remember when all the talk was about whether he should have a holiday in his honor. Now that we do, they talk about whether he was a liberal or conservative. I think he was both. He just wanted blacks to be treated as equals under the law.
I am glad we have a holiday in his honor. You are right, we are a better country as a result of trying to eliminate racial discrimination and we have to thank MLK for helping us recognize we had a problem.
Sadly, the truth is most people think of this holiday and most others just as a day off. Partly that is a result of moving the actual day to create 3 day weekends. That deminished the meaning of the day so most don't actually even think about what we are supposed to be celebrating. If there is a parade, few are even around to watch it because they went away for the long weekend. I hope we one day realize this and move holidays back to when they are supposed to be.