MLK Day and me

I was a college student when MLK was assassinated and I remember one student commenting that he was glad the SOB was dead.  I said "It doesn't matter what the man believes or what he had done, no one deserves to die by murder."  He just hung his head and mutterted 'You are right." 

I have to admit that up until that time I did not pay attention to the world around me.  Two years earlier when other students were protesting the war in Vietnam I was sitting in my dorm room unaware that a protest was even going on.  Of course I was just as aware of the civil rights movement as I was of the War in Vietnam but I was no more interested.  After all neither event really affected my life, at least, not until that student uttered that statement about MLK's death. 

It isn't common knowledge that the majority of Americans were not in favor of the Revolutionalry War against England and yet we honor the heroes of that movement until this day.  We not only elected the General of the Army as the first President we named a holiday after him.  True, he was famous, did something heroic, and, although most Americans did not support his cause, the citizenry recognized his sacrifices and his bravery and dedication to a cause that changed the cousrse of America.  Abraham Lincoln is also so honored with his birthday as a national holiday.  His decisions altered the course of this country and affected the lives of millions of people, then and forever. 

Great causes stir great feeling and call for great sacrifices and seldom are the causes popular.     MLK led a group of oppressed people in protest of the laws and attitudes that prevented them from being treated with dignity  as were the majority of the citizens.  It was a just cause.  Unlike the Revolutionary War which called for raising standing armies and plunging this entire nation into a war and the War Between the States which called for brother taking up arms agaist his brother and the ripping apart of this country in the bloddiest war this country has every known, the war waged by MLK was marked by demonstrations and the attempt was made to change minds and hearts and not to beat the oppressors into submission.  What MLK did was not popular but it did involve great sacrifice and dedication to a cause he believed in that changed the course of American forever.

To the English, Americans are still looked down on and some still refer to us a the colonies.  In many ways some Americans are still fighting the civil war and bitter about the outcome so in the same ways, some Americans will never give in to the ideas of freedom and equality for all Americans.  We should be a country, we should be united and we should treat each one of our citizens with the same degree of equality. 

To be honest, there should not be a black culture or an espanic culture in this country.  It should be an American culture.  But then American is the land of freedom and opportunity.  In some countries everyone has to be of the same religion and if you decide to believe something different you have put your life at risk.  But in the USA one can be Muslim, Baptist, or Luthern or of no religion without fear of persecution from the government. 

Black history month, MLK day, the NAACP, Bill Cosby, or Oprey Winfred came make all Americans love or even like each other.  We have to do that ourselves.  When our music, way of talking and way of dressing is more identified with our age than it is with our race we will have ventured well into becoming one nation.

Martin Luthern KIng day should not be a black holiday any more than Washingtons birthday is a white holiday.  After all, what MLK did changed this country for the better for all people, my self and my family as well.  We must remember that is the majority is allowed to take the freedoms from the miniority, one day someone can justify taking your freedoms from you.  We are all free or none of us is free.