Today is the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. When looking back on the past, it's easy to point out the greatness of certain individual's and their monumental efforts because the ripples of their lives has had time to resonate throughout the annals of history. I read this piece this morning and was feeling a little bit short-changed that we haven't seen the likes of MLK in years. Then I began to wonder how often it is that we are in the midst of a remarkable human being and we can't even recognize it. It could be at the end of our nose and we wouldn't even know it.That's exactly what happened with King, to the point that people made an effort that proved enough to make him a martyr. In the last five or so years, do you think you could point out someone who is on his level? I think Ronald Reagan approaches that kind of mystique.
In any case, do yourself a favor and read (or reread) some of Martin's greatest pieces. Go here for his letter from a Birmingham jail. Here for his I Have a Dream speech, audio and video. And his last speech the day before his assassination. His prose is beautiful, and the message just resonates.
You know what may be the best part about this day? Being back in school and getting it off as a holiday. Last year I had just assumed that we would have it off and when I figured out that we didn't, I almost died I was so disappointed.
The juxtaposition of today's observance and tomorrow's inauguration is quite remarkable. Thank you Dr. King for paving the way to a better society, and above all, thanks for having contributions so remarkable that some of us actually get to have the day off!
You know what may be the best part about this day? Being back in school and getting it off as a holiday. Last year I had just assumed that we would have it off and when I figured out that we didn't, I almost died I was so disappointed.
The juxtaposition of today's observance and tomorrow's inauguration is quite remarkable. Thank you Dr. King for paving the way to a better society, and above all, thanks for having contributions so remarkable that some of us actually get to have the day off!
2 comments:
How funny. I just reserved a book about Reagan at the library because I was thinking the same thing about him. I was born during his presidency so i obviously don't remember it. I hear a lot though and i'm very impressed. And, I think President Bush is a hero... just not as articulate. Funny how that bears so much on how people perceive a person's life.
Which book you getting? I read How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life over the summer and it's one of the coolest reads about Reagan. It's written by one of his speechwriters, but is kind of a book of memoirs about how Reagan affected that man. Really good stuff.
Bush...you know, I don't even think it's that he's not articulate, it's mostly that he doesn't bother to defend himself. He doesn't politick like you might expect him too. When he expresses himself, he is actually quite succinct. People jump on him all the time about his gaffes because they just don't like him, but Obama had a thousand of those in just the course of the election but you'd never know it because of how he's presented.
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