while watching my giants finally defeat the storied green bay packers in the NFC championship game last night, i realized that this day marks martin luther king day here in the US, and that it’s been a long, long time indeed since i wrote one of these. and while i’ll admit a small part of me wants to go on reveling in all the crow the various media talking heads are eating now in the wake of the giants upset of the pack, i think that this is a bit more significant an event to more people, as evidenced by the change to the google main page. :>

there are few who don’t know the story of slain civil rights leader dr. martin luther king jr. growing up, i knew in general terms who he was: the most respected figure in civil rights, whose crusade was cut short by an assassin’s bullet. but as i got older, i developed a better appreciation for the fiery orator and his choice of rhetorical tools. in high school, i took a class in public speaking, and of course as part of the coursework we read and analyzed his electrifying “i have a dream” speech.

as part of the class, we listened to a recording of the speech. and while i know that i already described it as electrifying, actually hearing his delivery was an extraordinary experience. if you have not yet done so, i urge you to rectify that.—as i write this, i’m listening to that clip, in fact.

it’s hard for me to imagine, in this land of plenty, that such injustice was the rule of the day. it’s hard for me to imagine that people—regular people, like you or me—could have accepted that was the way of thing. and it’s hard for me to accept that there really were signs that read “for whites only”.

that is not the america that i know. neither, i wager, is it the america that you know.

it is, thankfully, the america of the past, and i am deeply and profoundly ashamed that a nation “founded in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” could also have codified such racism.

yet such handwringing is only meaningful insofar as it serves to motivate us to be remain vigilant against such injustice when we encounter it.

dr. king gave to all americans, irrespective of heritage or ethnicity, an extraordinary legacy: the gift of inspiration. yes, inspiration: the inspiration not to remain silent when we are witness to injustice; the inspiration to speak rather than hold our tongues; the inspiration to change rather than to accept meekly. and that is a legacy we must honor.

but do you see a common thread through all of this? really, are these not quintessentially good and just things? are these not quintessentially moral and ethical things? and are these not, ultimately, the essence of how we want america to be—and be seen?

of course they are.

and that is why dr. king’s legacy is so extraordinary, so exceptional: because his legacy is quintessentially american. if america is the land of opportunity, then dr. king’s legacy is the inspiration to seize that opportunity and to do something with it.



so on this federal holiday day that most of us will no doubt spend in catching up on a little sleep, maybe do a little shopping, i ask that you please remember where this day began, that you reflect upon what it means.

because dr. king’s legacy is no less than a call to arms.

let it be a call that you answer.



so in what way might you mark the occasion? am i making any sense, or is this all a hangover-induced, self-indulgent bit of twaddle? what does dr. king’s legacy mean to you? comment and let me know.

ed