America, The Beautiful

In 2018, Recognizing Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s Message Has A New Relevance

It’s not that anyone expects that there will one day never be people who threaten freedom. There will always be charismatic leaders with tyrannical leanings. The challenge comes down to the people they attempt to lead and what they do about it.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” The quote is most often attributed to Edmund Burke (although there is controversy about that now) and was recognized by former President John F. Kennedy in his 1961 speech of the cause for a Free World.

This is why Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message and legacy not only retains its relevance but is perhaps developing an even deeper signal about patriotism and, indeed, manhood.

The divisive nature of the political landscape, the even deeper cultural and racial divisions that seem to be occurring and the United States’ retraction from the world stage as a leader and unifying force are in opposition to the nation’s core values and mission.

This is clear.

The question is, what will Americans do about it?

King answered this question. He answered as a leader when he and others called for the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 against the will of the ruling order. He answered when he attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge against brutal police batons.  He answered when he sat alone in a Birmingham prison in the middle of the night – after having been arrested for civil disobedience. In all of these cases, he had no idea how it would turn out. He could not have known if he would lose his life. But he did it anyway. He stood up in the face of injustice and tyranny as an American and as a leader and he stood up as a man when he delivered what has become known as the mountaintop speech the night before his assassination.

King did this because he knew America’s promise as well as its potential: America is beautiful. It is one of the few nations on earth where a child can be born into one class system and evolve into another. It has always been abundant in resources and opportunities – at one time known as the bread basket to the world because the U.S. helped to feed so many millions who were less fortunate. This nation towers other countries in its ability to initiate and forward technological wonders that elevate life.

We are not without challenges and flaws but part of the beauty of America is that it is an ongoing model whose very constitutional blueprint allows it to self-upgrade. But none of this happens if division and hate go unanswered. We can thank Dr. King for continuing to teach us how it’s done.