In honor of Martin Luther King Jr..
One of history's greatest minds, bravest souls, and most selfless leaders. Not since Dr. King has any one man been able to accomplish so much in the struggle for equality, justice, and civil rights. The Socrates of this, our modern age, he will forever remain in our hearts as a catalyst for change, an advocate of passive resistance, and promoter of peaceful revolution. We owe this man a debt of gratitude in more ways than one, and we must see to it that we build off his legacy, and continue to write new pages where he left off.
The following quotes are excerpted from his Letter From Birmingham City Jail.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.
I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for law
Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will
So the question is not whether we will be extremists but what kind of extremist we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love?
If you have any favorite quotes, ideas, or philosophies from this great man, please share.
18 comments:
The Man was a messenger from God to save usa from itself. Dr. King we love you sir.
excellent post, dave. and your comments on my post were fantastic and so eloquently delivered.
I appreciate you, brother.
have a great weekend!
"Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will."
Word.
Yes, Dave but the Lizard Queen's comments might have been misconstrued all the same.
Hello, you have a nice blog here, mind 2 exchange link?
Wally,
I'm not sure who or what put him here, but I am certain this world is far better for having him walk it.
DC,
What's going on brother? Yeah, that deed of sale you posted was like a punch in the gut of reason. There's a lot to talk about over the next few weeks.
Feeling's mutual.
I will, and you too.
Alicia,
:)
James,
Ugh, let's not evoke thoughts of her.
Wilson,
Welcome to Wandering the Ether! I appreciate the offer for link exchange, but I only link with blogs that I read daily. I will check yours out and see how often I read it. Sorry if this comes off as sounding rude, that is not my intention in any way, just letting you know the thinking behind who I link to.
Very nice, Dave, as always. And I do have some words from him I keep near by. I wrote about them in a post last year, but they're worth repeating on this occasion...
"Whatever affects on directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality."
These words help me understand the necessity of influence. That we can't just blithely sit back to set an example. It's a beginning, but words, discussion, inquiry all need to follow to do the most good. The expectation that it takes many focused on the same idea can effect the greatest change.
I've seen his last speech posted on a few blogs, "I've been to the Mountaintop." It was the day before he was killed, and it was like he knew he was going to die. I cry every time I hear it.
"...and we must see to it that we build off his legacy, and continue to write new pages where he left off."
YOU SAID it, Brother! But, Dave J. U r always prolific - which is why I luv ya!
Kelly,
The interconnectedness of all things is one of my favorite too. There was a sociologist, Durkheim I think, he used the metaphor of society as the body. Each perso