MLK Day

Today, we celebrate the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. While King certainly had his warts and ethical failings, he will be remembered as one of the great leaders of our nation. His "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and his "I Have a Dream Speech" are among their respective medium's paragons. Without King's leadership, the 20th Century would have suffered a grave ending, I fear.

Today was King's actual birthday - he would have been 78. I am fascinated by the contemplation of what would history been like had famous or influential people who died young lived instead. I think it is the case with King, the Kennedy's, etc., that nothing cements a legacy like an early grave. Not that King would not have remained a great leader, but he would not be the untouchable, semi-divine figure of today's mythology. Certainly that applies even more so to John F. Kennedy, whose legacy would have been as a poor president had he not been killed in Dallas.

In light of the Duke rape case, I also take this time to ponder the poor state of the Black Rights movement since King's passing. The so-called "black leadership" is often left in the hands of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, two opportunistic, greedy, racist, reverends-without-churches who are in it for the cameras and the money. I suspect King would roll over in his grave if he knew Jackson used black people's plights to secure lucrative contracts for his friends and family or if he knew about Sharpton being a pitch-man for red-lining banks. The good news is that other influential black pundits are starting to realize the conservative criticism of the last 15 years was spot on. From Bill Cosby to Juan Williams, people are starting to see the emperor has no clothes.

Despite the ugly realities of today, we should use this holiday to reflect on our faith. A faith of peace, love, hope, joy and equality.