KING

I have decided to stick with love; hate is too great of a burden to bear. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Significant moments in history require memorable figureheads and leading voices.

For his heart, his courage, and his ferocious love of ALL mankind, regardless of race, sex, origin, or creed, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the very voice and figure of leadership that the civil rights movement needed at a time in history when it was needed most.

Martin Luther King Jr. once had a dream of equal rights for all and of a world where EVERYONE was treated with basic human dignity; either under the law or in our everyday lives. He held fast to such a dream and such an aspiration; it guided his leadership and defined him as he related to the world around him; be he in contact with followers of his Civil Rights movement or those who would stand in opposition of making his dream a reality.

As a Nation, and as a world, we had a long way to go to achieve Martin Luther King Jr's dream or his leadership, and his dream, may have never been necessary or hold their roles of historic significance today.

I want to take a moment to look at us today; as individuals; as communities; as a Nation; as THE WORLD. How are we doing today? I'm sure that as individuals, we will still make mistakes of misjudging people based on (race/gender/ethnicity/language/place of origin/occupation/etc.) I want to challenge each of us to be more AWARE of when we begin misjudging others around us not based on the content of their character; but on any number of immutable qualities beyond their control that help make everyone a complex individual. Let us be more self-aware and honest with ourselves; then let us strive to change in our own lives and do what we can to change the world. And before we correct a family member, neighbor, or stranger for how THEY treat others, let us FIRST be more honest with ourselves about how we're doing in our daily lives. Sometimes, the very best way to "correct" those around us is to project a better example of how we ought to treat one another in our own daily walks.

The Summer of 2020 was an interesting time. It changed me as a person; for more reasons than simply being in lockdown.

I watched the news as, time and again, another African American ended up with their lives taken as families, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and loved ones, strangers to me, watched a loved one taken too soon. I ended up truly questioning the losses of Ahmaud Arbery (Georgia), George Floyd (Minnesota), Breonna Taylor (Kentucky), and David Dorn (Missouri). Many of these cases are historic ones and can be readily Googled.

In the aftermath of the Summer of 2020, reasonable debates were sparked once again about how far as a Nation we still had to go to reach the pinnacle of what Dr. King had once dreamt of.

In the aftermath of these events, and leading up to a Summer of violence in many communities, I willingly joined in a peaceful march through my own community in commemoration of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. I learned to distinguish between mostly good people with badges and a few bed eggs who used the badge to excuse poor behavior and reflected poorly on their departments and their occupations. I found the courage to speak with honesty and impunity about individual cases and individual officers amongst family and friends.

Above all, Dr. King dreamed of a great goal for his fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ that we all view one another for the content of our character and not for our appearances or places of origin. We have come so far as a Nation (some communities have advanced further than others); as a WORLD, we still have quite a long march ahead of us to reach a point where we can honestly look at ourselves, our loved ones, the stranger, and our communities and say, with a sigh of relief, "we made it." Let us always continue to strive to move FORWARD to make Dr. King's dream of a Nation and WORLD where people are treated as equals and are judged for the content of their character first and foremost before being misjudged for the color of their skin POSSIBLE.

As always, I thank you for reading. I had written the barebones version of this LAST year in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021; but, at 340 words at the time, it wasn't quite long enough. I hope that, this time, it is a sufficient read for at least someone.

I am not now, nor will I ever be, the best example of living up to "The Dream" that Dr. King once held for mankind. I can take an honest appraisal of my words and actions and hope to do better.

Permit me for one more moment to ask: "How far have we come as a Nation toward liberty and justice for all; and how far do we have yet to go?"