Some of the anti-MLK sentiments are still alive and walking around the US of A today. Yes, the country has a shameful past, but it is not all in the past. Not by a long shot.............yet. Maybe your grandkids will finally get past the crap.
A fair bit of the anti MLK sentiment is still around. Even more amazing is the blind spot: the alternative to Martin Luther King Jr. and the non-violent appeal for basic civil rights with regards to public accommodation, i.e., the Civil Rights Act (and subsequent Voting Rights Act)l anyway, the alternative would have been...far bloodier. I think about that a lot these days, and am convinced that things could have been even worse than they were ... and, as you know, it was no picnic getting basic civil rights laws passed. Housing -- most people's sole source of actual wealth (e.g., me) is still highly problematic and I'm pretty sure the major reason why there's a big, big disparity in wealth particularly with blacks/African Americans vis a vis White Americans.
Fair housing was King's project in Chicago -- and it didn't go well. And it's still not going well...and, hang my head in shame, but I honestly don't know what I'd do if I ever had to face "there goes the neighborhood." I'd like to think I'm lazy and comfortable enough -- and old enough -- to stick around, especially if I was treated decently as a good neighbor, as I like to think I am...
Anyway...
And sadder still to me is that the REAL issue isn't among me or my neighbors, whoever they may be. At my level, it's all crumbs and chump change anyway. The real money is far, far away, both figuratively and geographically. And what's saddest of all is that it doesn't have to be that way. Americans of all stripes made out country what it is -- still the wealthiest by far on the planet (maybe not per capita, but aggregate GDP). There's no reason why it all has to go to the top, well, except for the fact that, for all their anti-government ranting, they rely heavily on government actions to keep it that way...
Some of the anti-MLK sentiments are still alive and walking around the US of A today. Yes, the country has a shameful past, but it is not all in the past. Not by a long shot.............yet. Maybe your grandkids will finally get past the crap.
ReplyDeleteA fair bit of the anti MLK sentiment is still around. Even more amazing is the blind spot: the alternative to Martin Luther King Jr. and the non-violent appeal for basic civil rights with regards to public accommodation, i.e., the Civil Rights Act (and subsequent Voting Rights Act)l anyway, the alternative would have been...far bloodier. I think about that a lot these days, and am convinced that things could have been even worse than they were ... and, as you know, it was no picnic getting basic civil rights laws passed. Housing -- most people's sole source of actual wealth (e.g., me) is still highly problematic and I'm pretty sure the major reason why there's a big, big disparity in wealth particularly with blacks/African Americans vis a vis White Americans.
ReplyDeleteFair housing was King's project in Chicago -- and it didn't go well. And it's still not going well...and, hang my head in shame, but I honestly don't know what I'd do if I ever had to face "there goes the neighborhood." I'd like to think I'm lazy and comfortable enough -- and old enough -- to stick around, especially if I was treated decently as a good neighbor, as I like to think I am...
Anyway...
And sadder still to me is that the REAL issue isn't among me or my neighbors, whoever they may be. At my level, it's all crumbs and chump change anyway. The real money is far, far away, both figuratively and geographically. And what's saddest of all is that it doesn't have to be that way. Americans of all stripes made out country what it is -- still the wealthiest by far on the planet (maybe not per capita, but aggregate GDP). There's no reason why it all has to go to the top, well, except for the fact that, for all their anti-government ranting, they rely heavily on government actions to keep it that way...
Michael,
ReplyDeleteExcellent comments. Once again, you prove that you are a very caring, thoughtful, decent human being. Thanks for all you do.