Jan

18

From a White Guy on MLK’s Day

January 18, 2010 |

Martin Luther King is still on my list of the top ten people I would love to break bread with. He is one of the most eloquent speakers I have heard in my lifetime. He was also the best example I can think of, of a man who applied his convictions and principles in the face of a problem so large and threatening on a personal level that it would have been easy to let someone else take up the battle. He gave his life for his cause.

What he did for African-Americans (just Americans in my book) is something we cannot ever measure. He is truly among one of the great Americans in our nations history.

But, from this white guys perspective it took us from the end of the civil war in 1865, until 1964, 100 years to get civil rights legislation. In 2010 we are still far from a country that to quote Dr. King, “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

We are a long way from this ideal.

I do not want to minimize the issue of race. I do not want to minimize the fact that Barack Obama is our first African-American President. I do want to say that white, black, green, male, female… in his first year he has done a remarkable job. REMARKABLE.

When you examine the bag of shit he inherited, it is just unprecedented, even going back to what FDR walked into. He has assembled a great team, and has kept us from a second great depression. If you examine his record in the first year alone he has already accomplished what most Presidents take a full term to do.

I am glad he is my President. I have every confidence he is going to lead us out of this mess. He will do so despite the obstructionist attitude of the other party. He will do so irrespective of whether the makeup of his Congress changes. He will lead us out of this mess because he is a natural born leader. He is a man like Dr. King of great character. Great character may not be able to transcend bigotry and ignorance, but great character will always transcend race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.

ALWAYS!

 

 

 


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