One of, if not the most inspiring speeches heard during my lifetime was given by Martin Luther King Jr. In that speech Rev. King said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
I was on a flight several years ago seated next to a younger woman. We politely ignored each other through the first part of the flight but at some point she was inspired to say “I bet you get your news from Fox News.” A bit surprised by this introduction I responded “No, actually I don’t watch TV because I find it a waste of time, I get my news from a variety of sources including NPR, conservative talk radio, and internet sites like BBC.” She replied “I get my news from the internet too.” The conversation continued off and on for a while. She was a graduate student of Women’s Studies in California, seemed proud of the fact that her father (a Hispanic agricultural worker I surmised, though that wasn’t clearly apparent from her appearance) never made more than “four figures” in any one year of his life, and that she was a socialist. Being curious, and enjoying the mental stimulation, I asked her to define “socialism.” I don’t precisely remember her response, but finally at some point in the conversation I said to her “You are stereotyping me because I am older, white and male,” to which she responded without apology “Yes, I am.” The conversation wasn’t going her way and it soon ended at her insistence that “Well, I have been looking around, and people are becoming upset at our conversation and I think we should end it.” I didn’t notice any upset people but really didn’t have a quick response so it ended.
Why do I bring this up? Because today, several years later, it seems people can’t even discuss topics they disagree upon without becoming not just uncomfortable and “triggered,” but upset, angry, and sometimes violent. It has become as though we have all regressed to temper tantrum throwing two-year-old toddlers!
Dreams can inspire us; nightmares terrify us. Has Dr. King’s dream become a nightmare? Have today’s “social justice” warriors thought about Dr. King’s speech? Are we becoming a “color blind” society, or a “color focused” society, where everything is either defined by, or determined by, the color of a person’s skin, including our values and our integrity? Have we as a country really failed so miserably that some are justified in seeking to destroy the cities and the government that has brought about so much positive change in the world? Of course we are not a perfect nation, and yes, we have much work to do, but what do they offer up as an alternative – a Robin Hood style “Steal from the rich and give to the poor” approach?
I have been pondering why people seem to get such pleasure out of destroying things other’s have built? Does it give them a since of power in a world that makes them feel powerless? All it takes to destroy is a rock or a match (or a word). It happens quickly, providing instant gratification. “See, I’m changing the world!”
Creating something takes effort, and time. You have to have a vision, an idea of what it is you are trying to create. It can take years to achieve your vision, requiring effort and a sense of delayed gratification. A newborn healthy baby can bring intense joy, and a sense of wonder and power – “Look what I did!” Then the work begins. The real gratification occurs years later when that little baby is now a fledgling adult and beginning to show the signs of creating a successful life for themselves.
Why is anarchy so appealing? Is the idea of living in chaos really that attractive? Its easy to be an anarchist when you have some certainty that there will be something for you to eat at the end of the day. But didn’t the system you are trying to tear down provided that something to eat? Break down the system and you should be ready to go hungry. Under chaos people always suffer. Everyone that is except the elite who can use their resources to insulate themselves from the suffering, and the anti-social criminals who use chaos to prosper on the misery of others. But the average person always suffers.
Under peace fewer people suffer. However, there will always be people who suffer due to some ailment, accident , injustice or unfortunate circumstance. Sometimes those unfortunate circumstances are due to the genetic programming the person receives from their parents. Some are the result of the environment a person is born into. Some are due to self-harming behaviors they adopt to cope with life’s ups and downs. And yes, some are imposed upon the sufferer by a person with more power then they have. These are injustices we must work to resolve, but I fail to see how hate and destruction of the government and institutions that have resulted in more freedom and opportunity for more people than any other system has ever provided can accomplish this. Yes, after a wildfire destroys everything the process of succession begins: ashes sprout new flowers, and some species increase while others don’t return. But it can be decades before a stable ecosystem reestablishes itself.
Another wise teacher said: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.” (Jesus)
Where do we choose to go from here? Are we going to be inspired to build upon what we have to create the dream Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned back in August of 1963? It will take time, it will take effort, and it will take understanding.
Or do we want the nightmare?
Kahle Jennings, 2021