MLK Day

Liberals have their ideas as to what Dr. King envisioned for today's generation. So do conservatives, libertarians, and everyone else. What's disgusting, though, is how Dr. King's wonderful legacy, one which he literally gave his life for, is politicized in the most despicable manner.

For example, look no further than President Bush. He gives a speech commemorating Dr. King's vision and sacrifice, and many on the left accuse of him of political grandstanding. Had Bush given no speech, he would have been accused by the same people of unspeakable racism and unforgivable insensitivity. Damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. Then again, these critics are the same ones that blame Bush for a fart getting stuck sideways in Jesse Jackson's ass...damn that global warming! But I digress...

Dr. King said that he envisioned a day that man would no longer be judged by the color of his skin. Liberals support programs that look specifically at the color of skin, and only in their perverted worldview do they consider that kind of discrimination "equality." It takes a pretzel twist of "logic" (and I use the word loosely) to think that the best way to end discrimination...is to at least partially discriminate!

Dr. King said that he envisioned a day that man would be judged on the content of his character. Liberals object to the number of black men and women incarcerated today, as if the percentage of black inmates (who were clearly of at a minumum questionable character, thus their incarceration) somehow negates the crimes they committed...there must be a conspiracy.

In my opinion, Dr. King died so that all men, women, and children could live in a land of equal opportunities, a land that didn't give a damn about the color of people's skin. This country has moved a considerable distance towards that goal, and though it may never actually get there, this land doesn't resemble the racist badlands it used to be a few decades ago. Americans today rightfully denounce racism, where before they would have either failed to see it, failed to care about it, or failed to speak out against it.

When I was a kid, my brother and I played with a couple of black children who lived across the street from us. Their mother came over one day to tell our mother about something that both amused and pleased her. As we children were playing in their carport, one of her kids referred to my brother as "white." My brother corrected him: "I'm not white." The mother, curiosity aroused, asked him: "Well, what color are you?" My brother, being well versed with the Crayola box at home and school, replied: "I'd say I'm kinda 'peach'!"

We just weren't raised that way. Believe it or not, most Americans from my generation and beyond weren't raised that way, either. Sure, we don't retain the innocence forever, but it seems as though when Americans get older, race seems to take on forms that we as kids never recognized. Dr. King's sacrifices, as well as those of others before and since him, enabled me and my generation (and subsequent generations) to at least grow up in that innocence, to not have to be preoccupied with trivialities such as skin color. We didn't care, and many of us didn't even really notice whether the other kids were black, white, or "kinda peach."

Now that I'm an adult (chronologically, anyway!), I'm not naive. While race relations are great in this country, and you'll never convince me otherwise, there is much progress remaining. The main difference seems to be not with the goal, but with the approaches for reaching that goal. At least it's nice to know, though, that a goal once unable to be shared is now universally shared. Maybe one day we can get past the obstacles of approaches. Maybe.

Until then, I will continue to salute Dr. King for his contributions to humanity and his inspirational message to people of all races for decades to come.