A Day of Reflection

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  We honor the man who has been defined as the “chief spokesman for non-violent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law.”  In celebrating the man we have cause to reflect on a time in our history when life was much different than it is today.  A class of our citizenry was considered to be somehow “less” than the rest of us for no reason other than the color of their skin.  Dr. King saw the inequity in that and spoke out.  He said that “if a man does not have something worth dying for then he has nothing to live for.”  He paid the ultimate price for standing up for his convictions.  His life’s work helped to usher in a new chapter in American history.

Today also marks the turning of another page in that history.  Today, in the wake of the tragedy in Tucson, life will return to normal for most of the nation.  Family and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured will continue to mourn and deal with the aftermath, but most of us will move on.  Except for checking on the condition of a courageous congresswoman we will return to the safe cocoon of our normal lives.  In so doing most of us will miss the connection between the Tucson tragedy and Dr. King’s teachings.

The incident in Tucson gripped our attention.  It threatened our safety and our way of life.  It did so in part because one of the victims was a highly visible public figure.  It did so because of the heroism of common citizens who put their lives at risk to help others.  But it also did so because it happened in a mostly white, middle class community to mostly white middle class Americans.

The Tucson tragedy happens in black communities every single day.  Every day young black lives are cut short.  Every day local black citizens step up to render assistance.  Every day families are torn apart by senseless acts of violence.  Their pain and sorrow and loss are no less important than the loss suffered in Tucson. But reports of these incidents seldom extend past a few column inches in the local newspaper.

This is not meant to diminish the tragedy that happened in Tucson.  It is meant out point out that Tucson is not alone.

Dr. King did not just call for racial equality; he called for civil discourse and non-violent solutions as well. Violence is not a solution; it only results in more violence.   Clearly there is much more work to be done.

So let us reflect on Dr. King’s words today.  Let us remember not just the unrest and the struggle of that time.  Let us also remember that heroic American’s like Dr. King stood for what they believed in and made America a better place.  Let us reflect, and vow that the incident in Tucson and other similar incidents happening throughout the country will do the same. And like Dr. King, let us do something about it.