Today as we honor the memory and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we recall his courage and persistence in the face of danger, hatred and violence.
Dr. King spoke up for the rights of his people in an era of Jim Crow, the KKK and severely compromised justice in the Deep South. Today, we see corruption, partisanship and abuses in the infamous "deep state" swamp of unelected, unaccountable federal bureaucrats, but state and local authorities are far more upstanding and accountable than they were 50 years ago.
Racism in 2021 is not really "institutionalized" as the leftists claim, although it sure was during MLK's time. Our society is not perfect, but it is light-years ahead of where it was at the time of Dr. King's death in 1968.
Remember, in those days, southern law enforcement officers and respected local businessmen by day were often the white-sheet-wearing KKK bigots by night, regularly terrorizing and murdering black citizens with impunity. Indeed, the King family home was firebombed when Dr. King spoke out in favor of the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott.
The constant threat of being beaten or killed, or having harm inflicted upon his family, must have tormented Dr. King day and night. He faced frequent death threats, and was targeted in a series of dirty operations by the FBI. (Obviously, there's an agency that has had lots of bad apples -- and still does to this day -- yet never seems to learn from its failures).
If MLK were alive today, he would be 92 years old. No one knows what his view would be on identity politics, affirmative action or critical race theory. But based on his words and actions, I'm not so sure he would be comfortable with today's Democrat party. For one thing, he emphasized sizing people up by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. So today's Democrat obsession with skin color would possibly be unsettling to him.
Let's make one thing clear: Despite his sexual indiscretions, Dr. King was a Christian. The fact is, there has never been a flawless Christian; as scripture says, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible is replete with imperfect messengers who ended up leaving a positive imprint on the world despite their own past mistakes. Dr. King, in my estimation, would not look fondly upon nihilistic secular progressives who mock religion and do their best to stamp it out via government edicts and court rulings.
He flirted with socialism, and it's quite possible he would be a big government advocate in the 21st century. Maybe he would support a high mandatory minimum wage, single payer healthcare, and extensive social programs. Or maybe not, since the welfare state has been such an abysmal failure. Who knows?
And then there's gun control. Yes, Dr. King advocated nonviolence. Perhaps he would not approve of today's militia groups and may have even been a bit squeamish about buddying up with the NRA. But I highly doubt he would advocate draconian gun control laws. These laws do not keep guns out of the hands of lawbreakers, and only make the poorest and most marginalized citizens (often blacks and Hispanics living in downtrodden urban neighborhoods) far more vulnerable to violent crimes, theft and other malicious actions. In other words, without beating around the bush, strict gun control often is a downright racist policy.
Remember, Dr. King often was accompanied by armed deacons to protect him from the menace of the KKK and other virulent racists and vigilante groups that threatened black people all day every day. How many of today's woke progressives are even aware of the fact Dr. King had firearms in his Montgomery home at the time of the bus boycott, or have heard of the Deacons for Defense and Justice, an armed group that had 20 chapters in several states and was formed to protect civil rights activists and their families?
Dr. King was a complicated, but impressive and inspirational man. No one will ever know the pain and humiliation he endured, the anxieties and fears, the self-doubt. He ultimately gave his life for a noble cause. For that, we respect and remember him. R.I.P.
Letter from Birmingham Jail (ext)
By Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 16 April 1963
"First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season."
Posted by: Reminder | January 18, 2021 at 04:44 PM