Selected Martin Luther King Jr. quotes to think about
Looking forward toward the next election- we have a decision to make. Either vote for the safe, same-old, candidates from the two parties who can’t seem to come to grips with the fact that they no longer seem to represent us. We are held hostage and forced to listed to their trash-talking, outrageously expensive “campaigns.”
I can’t imagine what the media would say today about Dr. King’s crusade- would they get the same kind of dismissive coverage that the Occupy Wall Street movement received? Or treated like Dr. Ron Paul who continues to do very well in the primaries but his achievements are always marginalized? Would they be counting his support by the amount of money raised by the marchers.
The legitimacy of our ideas isn’t valued in dollars, nor should they be.
These quotes were posted by Seth Godin this morning- please think about them:
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
And a few more thoughts, from one of the greatest men of my lifetime:
“On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ And Vanity comes along and asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But Conscience asks the question ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.”
. . .
“We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
. . .
“The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.”
Just remember, there is not a single person elected in this country by a majority of our citizens. When that happens, things will be very different.
For the next election, you can vote for traditional candidates and be an expedient, vain coward- or listen to your conscience. I am running to make sure that money leaves politics and that you never again have to choose between the lesser of two evils, but always be able to vote your conscience. Please consider making a donation to my campaign.
Re the “dismissive” treatment of the Occupy movement… Out here in Seattle – liberal city, mostly liberal paper – the Occupy movement was initially given a lot of favorable coverage. The occupation, here and elsewhere, was a great attention-getting move. But once it got folks attentiion, what happened? Not much. The posters and slogans never really coalesced into a focused set of actions, especially actions designed to influence the next election, which is how change takes place.
Out here, after the attention faded the occupiers resorted to stunts, like snarling rush hour traffic and the port, which did a lot more to antagonize the 99% than the 1%, and leading to a tear gas incident, an eviction from the park and then from the community college campus they occupied. The idea to occupy something became the most visible part of the message
I don’t think the Occupy movement was dismissed so much as its actions and statements got to the point where they simply failed to inspire those of us who might otherwise be supportive.
Dr. King was able to inspire and to promote specific actions with a sustained message consistently and well-communicated over a number of years. Although I don’t know how well he might have played in today’s media environment, I wouldn’t lump him in with the Occupy movement.