You Don't Have A Clue

The question is often asked. If Martin Luther King Jr. was alive today, what would he say about the progress of his dream? The first thing he would probably say is, "that's not the name of the speech". The title was "A check for insufficient funds". That might help explain the reason the vision, has been misinterpreted. If we knew what Dr. King had to say, about the state of civil rights almost forty years later. You might be surprised to hear what he would say.

A lot of people claiming the covering of the legacy, their actions would leave them out. Those who think it was about aggression, have it all wrong. His answer to violence, wasn't to strike back. He didn't advocate the tactic, by any means necessasary. The movement he championed, was one of non-violence. He had the insight to see the bigger picture. The minority can't force the majority, to do anything. You can't fight fire, with fire. Especially when you only have a spark, going up against a blaze. The smaller one will be extinguished. The offendors usually outnumber the offended. If not in number, in influence and power. Having the ability to with-hold something, from those who are less fortunate. Ultimately causing people that are supposed to be united, to end up going against one another.

The civil rights movement wasn't mobilized to make Blacks separate citizens either. Instead it's purpose was to make all people inclusive. To give everyone equal oppotunities under the law. It brings to mind the lyric from a James Browm tune. "I don't want nobody to give me nothing, open the door I'll get it myself". Somehow that principle seems to have gotten overlooked. Some people think this is, a "get out of jail free card". The fact that your foreparents endured the hardships of American slavery. Doesn't excuse you from personal responsibility now. The country has done much, to serve the underpriviledged population. We do more for others, than they do for themselves. Poor people in America that have nothing, have the nerve to be picky. Look at some of the evacuees from New Orleans.

Race was not the primary focus either. Dr. King was a Black man, and Blacks benefitted the most from his cause. The ideal wasn't race specific. It applied to Asians,Blacks, Hispanics and Whites. It was to anyone who was mistreating another human being, based on them being different. It was on behalf of anyone, that was being mistreated because they were different. In his speech he said," It's not a day for a Black man, it's not a day for a White man either". "It's a day for a man". I don't know how anyone can listen to his speeches, and come away with racist thinking. It doesn't matter what color you are. If you seek an advantage for those like you, to a point of being unfair. You would be considered a racist.

The issue of reparations, have somehow been attached to the civil rights struggle. Nobody alive today has ever been a slave, or even known a slave personally. Do we pay the Chinese, and Irish people too? Many of them ended up in America, under adverse conditions also. If we pay reparations to all the people that were affected by slavery. The list certainly won't end with Blacks. To assume your family members before you, were denied the opportunity to go in business. Who is to say they would've left anything behind anyway? That would indicate they didn't think like you do now. In 2006 if you are employed by someone else. What happened to the entrepeneurial spirit in you? The pioneers of the civil rights movement weren't in search of a hand-out. If they were to give you the money now, and you didn't put it to good use. What do they do for your children? Twenty years from now, they would be complaining too. Are we willing to suspend all the measures put in place, for the sake of having it now.

According to some of the comments I heard people make. The benefactors of the message, have totally missed the mark. I watched an episode of "Boondocks" I found both funny and on point. The world then was totally different, than the world is now. Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't faced, with many of the issues we are today. Many of the things we have done as a result of his efforts. Would probably embarrass him, to say the least. Unless he did a 180 degree turn, he wouldn't go along with the dream being exploited. Often the purpose is distorted to fit special interest agendas. If you are one of those, that don't think the dream has been realized. You don't have a clue.