MLK

Happy MLK day everyone!
My thoughts for this, one of my favorite holidays.
1) We really have come a long way.

Today, I went to Blockbuster, and as I was pulling out, a family started to cross the street, so I let them go. The father was reading something, and didn't see me wave him on, but his wife pushed him on while giving me a little nod of thanks. Their kids ran across the street, and the little girl stopped to give me a big wave and smile. I know this sounds like a really insignificant event, but it made me think about how things might have been say, 50 years ago. Would this black family have the middle-class income to buy those nice coats, or go rent a movie? Would this little girl be taught that it was ok to have a friendly exchange with a white woman? Insanely enough, I'm not sure that even that casual interaction would have occured in my town.

2) The reason that we've come a long way is because people have been brave.

Civil rights leaders of the 60's were thought of as radicals in their day. People thought they wanted too much change, too soon. Many people who are thought of as outlandish in their beliefs today will be considered visionaries and catalysts in the future. Are you willing to be part of an unpopular movement, to make the world a better place? They were. Are you willing to go against the status quo, when the status quo is evil? Can you afford not to?
People make fun of the women's movement, talking about bra-burning and over-zealous politcial correctness, without realizing where it has gotten us. One award winner from last night's Golden Globe awards was Hilary Swank, for best actress, in a movie where she plays a female boxer. That whole premise of that movie would have seemed ridiculous maybe 15, 20 years ago!
There are so many brave people that make change possible - people like Rosa Parks, and those little girls who were the first black children to go to their school after it had been integrated. People who were the first to be black, female, hispanic, disabled, homosexual, or whatever, in their profession. These people go about their ordinary lives in extraodinary ways and change the way we think just by being themselves. They deserve our praise and thanks.
Still, we must not forget the thinkers and dreamers like Dr. King. They too change the world with ideas, writings, speeches, and political action. They work in concert with the ordinary folks to make the world a better place. Sure, a lot of todays "thinkers" and politicians are more interested in notoriety and attention than making the world a better place. It is true that false prophets are everywhere. But I believe that visionaries and catalysts are among us still today. A lot of people think that everyone who has a political "agenda" is a machavellian glory-seeker. But Dr. King had an "agenda", too. He called it his "dream".