Marint Luther King Jr -American Hero

Today we honor and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In my opinion, which I hope I have made clear, is that Dr. King is the greatest modern American hero. He saved the United States from a very violent descent into racial chaos. By adopting the tactics of Gandhi and insisting on non-violent protest he raised the possibility that injustice could be righted peacefully. His opponents, most of white America, were not so kind. There were many instances of violence during the period I have called the Second American Civil War, almost all were cases of violence by whites against blacks. Of course there were riots but most of the victims were black as the vandals burned down their own parts of town. This war continues at a cooler level.

Dr. King lamented the violence, both at home and in Vietnam, this won him many new enemies. When he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace many Americans were outraged. In fact Dr. King was one of the few people who won the prize that actually deserved it. To compare Yassar Arafat to Dr. King simply proves how distorted the world’s thinking has become.

I am qualified to speak to this matter because I grew up during this time and lived through every moment. My early opinions certainly do me no credit, but at least I was able to learn. One of the greatest moments in American history was the day, in Washington DC that Dr. King gave his “I have a dream” speech. Undoubtedly the greatest speech given by an American in the 20th century. Today the goals of Dr. King’s dream have not been entirely met, and they never will be fully realized until skin color is a negligible personal characteristic. Every day that passes in the United States this dream seem less possible. Our politicians make it impossible by playing the “race card” and encouraging their constituents to think of themselves as victims and that they are entitled to government handouts ever so subtly reminding them of their “inferiority”

Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. never saw himself as a victim. He wanted no handouts, he wanted a hand up to an equal level, and then he could take it from there. He realized that he would most likely be killed during the struggle for the right to try to be his best and to have all the advantages every American has. He might have been afraid at times, but he was a man of action; a man of peace. Where is his like?