Today is the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, which has been a national holiday since 1986. Accordingly, many people do not have to work today. I do, unfortunately, but I didn't want that to stop me from thinking about the significance of the day – so I'm taking a quick break from all the ruthless taxonomy to share my thoughts about MLK.
Who was this guy? Why does he get a national holiday to celebrate his birthday? Did you know that the only other American who gets a holiday to celebrate his birthday is George Washington? It's true, I wouldn't lie. I was just reading an article from 1985 about how today's holiday came about, and apparently there were a lot of people who thought it would be a bad idea. Businesses would be closed and lose a lot of money, plus there were people who argued that Dr. King deserved no special recognition above and beyond that which so many other great Americans have received. Rep. Jesse Helms, R-NC, even denounced the late King as a communist. A compromise was only reached when Rep. Katie Hall, D-IN, suggested the holiday be celebrated on the third Monday of January, the Monday after what was very often Super Bowl Sunday, and everybody suddenly thought a day off might be a good idea. Ah, the American legal system at work: its all about demeaning compromises, but at least something gets done every now and then.
Does Dr. King deserve a holiday of his own? I must answer with a resounding “yes” or perhaps even a hearty “amen.” Often denounced and despised in his own time, King dared to speak out in behalf of millions whose voices had been ignored and repressed. He dared to suggest that human beings should be treated equally, should reach out to each other in peace and respect if for no other reason than the shared humanity they possessed. Nothing could have made him more American. The American ideal of equality, long celebrated but existing solely in the idealist's imagination, had been set forth long before by the founders of our nation: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...” That's a great ideal to live up to, perhaps the greatest ideal of all, and so many so-called patriotic Americans weren't and aren't even trying. It takes a true voice of courage and conviction to speak out so controversially, inviting the ire and antipathy of all those who oppose freedom and equality for all (and there are many), but Dr. King spoke and the nation listened. He joins a long line of great men and women who have, throughout the history of mankind, plead for peace. He was a great American, a “liberal,” and an idealist – and one of my many heroes. He was a remarkable man with an inspiring story, and yet the holiday's true significance comes when it is more a celebration of Dr. King's famous dream than of the man himself. I think he would have preferred it that way. I think that he, like all great men in history, thought his cause to be of greater importance to the world than himself. Let us honor him and the millions he represented by trying harder to diffuse stereotypes, to open minds, to preach tolerance, unity, and peace, to challenge all that is unfair and unequal in the status quo.
And amidst our busy lives today, let's remember that there once was a man who dared to dream a dream, a dream that we still strive to realize today. It takes all of us working together to make it happen, but I'd like to think we're getting a little closer each day. I hope we all take time to be thankful in whatever way we feel most appropriate for Dr. Martin Luther King's eloquent articulation and timely reminder of that great dream that has been taught and preached for millennia. We needed to hear it. Again. Always.
Thanks for reading. Getting off my soapbox now.
Who was this guy? Why does he get a national holiday to celebrate his birthday? Did you know that the only other American who gets a holiday to celebrate his birthday is George Washington? It's true, I wouldn't lie. I was just reading an article from 1985 about how today's holiday came about, and apparently there were a lot of people who thought it would be a bad idea. Businesses would be closed and lose a lot of money, plus there were people who argued that Dr. King deserved no special recognition above and beyond that which so many other great Americans have received. Rep. Jesse Helms, R-NC, even denounced the late King as a communist. A compromise was only reached when Rep. Katie Hall, D-IN, suggested the holiday be celebrated on the third Monday of January, the Monday after what was very often Super Bowl Sunday, and everybody suddenly thought a day off might be a good idea. Ah, the American legal system at work: its all about demeaning compromises, but at least something gets done every now and then.
Does Dr. King deserve a holiday of his own? I must answer with a resounding “yes” or perhaps even a hearty “amen.” Often denounced and despised in his own time, King dared to speak out in behalf of millions whose voices had been ignored and repressed. He dared to suggest that human beings should be treated equally, should reach out to each other in peace and respect if for no other reason than the shared humanity they possessed. Nothing could have made him more American. The American ideal of equality, long celebrated but existing solely in the idealist's imagination, had been set forth long before by the founders of our nation: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...” That's a great ideal to live up to, perhaps the greatest ideal of all, and so many so-called patriotic Americans weren't and aren't even trying. It takes a true voice of courage and conviction to speak out so controversially, inviting the ire and antipathy of all those who oppose freedom and equality for all (and there are many), but Dr. King spoke and the nation listened. He joins a long line of great men and women who have, throughout the history of mankind, plead for peace. He was a great American, a “liberal,” and an idealist – and one of my many heroes. He was a remarkable man with an inspiring story, and yet the holiday's true significance comes when it is more a celebration of Dr. King's famous dream than of the man himself. I think he would have preferred it that way. I think that he, like all great men in history, thought his cause to be of greater importance to the world than himself. Let us honor him and the millions he represented by trying harder to diffuse stereotypes, to open minds, to preach tolerance, unity, and peace, to challenge all that is unfair and unequal in the status quo.
And amidst our busy lives today, let's remember that there once was a man who dared to dream a dream, a dream that we still strive to realize today. It takes all of us working together to make it happen, but I'd like to think we're getting a little closer each day. I hope we all take time to be thankful in whatever way we feel most appropriate for Dr. Martin Luther King's eloquent articulation and timely reminder of that great dream that has been taught and preached for millennia. We needed to hear it. Again. Always. Thanks for reading. Getting off my soapbox now.
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