gbear Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Time has this up in honor of MLK: http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/king.html What's amazing to me is that when people talk about MLK, the majority seem to think his biggest impact was on how we treat minorities. While I wouldn't want to discount that, that is really the second greatest service he did for out country in my eyes. I think every great culture needs somebody who takes the population beyond the might make right philosiphy. Every great culture has to eventually get to the point where being able to commit more violence stops making your point more valid. Every great culture needs somebody who stands up and says no more violence. Every great culture needs their Ghandi. Before MLK, violence was accepted and the norm. We have the civil war as an example. We have all of the violent reactions after desegregation. The list goes on and on. Perhaps, one could look at our last presidential election as proof positive of just how profound an impact MLK has had in our country. How many countries could have an election for leadership so hotly contested and never have riots or violence result. We had delays and hot feelings on all sides, but did anyone really consider violence as a way to make their side prevail? It never even came close. It wasn't even an option. It's a true mark of change that violence now deligitamizes what ever point a person is trying to make. I guess that's why I'm always amazed that racial treatment is almost always viewed as the greatest legacy of MLK. It's important, but to focus on that misses one of the greatest changes in our counties history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchogs Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 our dean of academics gave a speech to all of our students on MLK Jr.'s life on Wednesday. He had a hand recorder loaded with his "I have a dream" speech and played it to the kids over the speakers. the speech damn near brought me to tears, and the normally quasi-rowdy student body was stone silent the entire time. that man had a way with words- ironic for a fella that got C's in college in his public speaking class... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fansince62 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 so the Greeks and Romans were not great cultures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Are you just looking for a fight? Seriously, I doubt they would be a great culture by todays standards. Atleast wht I know of Rome probably wouldn't. Founded on conquest with a culture that stagnated without expanding borders, racism, slavery, practices that many on here would find morally repugnant, forced religion, continued military rule of entire peoples, no concept of just war or civilian casualties ... As time goes by, I'd like to think our requirements for a great culture evolve too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fansince62 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 no...not looking for a fight.... although your criterion is important...I don't view it as the determining factor. in terms of our intellectual inheritance, most of the core themes in the arts, philosophy, even the foundations of much science....no culture approaches the Greeks.... you made a political statement in judging culture and I happen to think the concept is much broader than that. this doesn't detract from MLK - who above all else should be valued as a man of courage and conviction. are we a lesser culture for men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln? Men who definitely supported violent means to achieving noble goals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted January 18, 2003 Author Share Posted January 18, 2003 Do I thinnk we are a weaker society for those men? no Do I think we would be a lesser society if we had never gone any farther after them? yes I appreciate what the Greek society and the Roman society have given to our culture. I guess I just hope that things have moved further and in a good direction since that time. I have hope that future societies look back on us and think we have benefited them, but that our society/culture wouldn't be a great one by their modern standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 gbear, first of all, I think MLK was a man who did amazing work. His "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is one of the most eloquent statements about race and eqality ever conceived; his "I have a dream" speech likewise about brings me to tears. The truth is, however, that our society, for all its ills forty years ago, still allowed him to go forward with his message. It's funny how you don't see MLK's in the People's Republic of China, North Korea, or Iraq. You only see them in nations that are willing to look inward, and are willing to confront unpleasant truths about themselves in an effort to better themselves. Our country, unlike damn near any other on earth has the capacity to do that. Don't confuse the unpleasantness of that process for an unwillingness of our great nation to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fansince62 Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 gbear......we can (and do) differ on criteria...but your central idea that cultures should strive for progress is positive. we (meaning many of us - especially me) argue on this board pretty vociferously (and unfairly at times). on this thread you have kept to your optimistic outlook - :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 I realize that I'll probably be castigated for it, but I've never been a huge fan of MLK. First, I readily admit that he was a great man and did have some truly revolutionary ideas/ideals. However, I've just never believed that they were realistic or feasible. While it's very laudible to fight for non violence, it just isn't very realistic to expect human beings to all of a sudden become passive and docile. Violence always has been and always will be a part of our humanity. It's not a good thing, but that's the way it is. Expecting the end of violence is sort of like expecting the end of evil. It just won't happen. Given that fact, if good men all of a sudden unilaterally disarm they'll immediately be overrun and evil wins. I was always a much bigger supporter of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X) who espoused the use of violence in self defense. At the time, I saw it as a much more common sense approach and I still do. Furthermore, I don't think King would have had as much success as he did without Malcolm. I'm sure it took a lot of courage to allow southern racists to endure being bitten by police dogs, hosed down with fire hoses, being spit on and a whole host of other things, all without retaliating. Courageous yes. Smart, not very. As a fellow fraternity brother and human being, I respect the man. I just don't agree much with his philosphy of resistance to oppression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brave Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 What are the odds this was an "honest mistake?" Assassin Mistakenly Honored At Martin Luther King Celebration The town of Lauderhill, Florida is very upset after a plaque intended to honor James Earl Jones instead honored the wrong man. The plaque was to be displayed at a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, but instead of honoring Jones, the plaque read, "Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive." James Earl Ray was the man who assassinated King in 1968. A Merit Industries spokesman Herbert Miller, said that it was caused by an unintentional error, "We in no way meant any disrespect. It was an honest error." -BBC: 1/17.02 -Associated Press: 1/16/02 -Reuters: 1/16/02 -CNN: 1/16/02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 OOPS!!!! :rofl: That's pretty darn funny if you ask me. My bet is it was a prank by an employee that nobody picked up on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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