Remembering Dr. King

I am resuming my long neglected blog on the day that we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today I have been posting my favorite quotes from him on my Facebook page. At noon I joined others at our statehouse in a ceremony honoring Dr. King and human rights. It’s hard to believe that if he had lived, he would be 83 years old. The keynote address was entitled “Have We Gotten There Yet?” (Marilyn Schuler). Idaho has come a long way but we are not there yet. Our nation is not there yet.

We have made great strides in civil rights. Attitudes have changed significantly; we even have a (half) black president. However, we continue to hear racist comments directed at him and his family, even by some of our leaders. Women have made great gains over the last century, but as a woman, I can tell you we are not equal yet. Perhaps one day we will have a woman president; it was depressing to listen to the sexist comments from both Republicans and Democrats while Hillary Clinton was running for president. It is illegal to discriminate against people because of their religion or disabilities. We have a long way to go in the fight for GLBT rights.

This country is more sharply divided than perhaps any other time in our history. Presidential campaigns seem to bring out the worst in people. The far right is pushing hard for their agenda, which includes discrimination against people who are not like them, especially GLBT people. The ads are nasty; some of the comments I see posted online are venomous, just simply awful. We have elected officials who refuse to compromise. Their rhetoric only serves to fan the hatred among the faithful.

What can one person do in light of this toxic political environment? It is overwhelming but we must move forward. History proves that one person can make a difference. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable ... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”

As a follower of Jesus, my desire is to reach out in love to my fellow human beings. Christians should be leading the call for justice and reflect God’s love for all people. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)