In Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Reflections on his Nobel Acceptance Speech:

In Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Reflections on his Nobel Acceptance Speech: Today is Martin Luther King Day (formerly known in my adopted home state of Virginia as “Lee-Jackson-King Day” for Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Martin Luther King, a juxtaposition which I, as a transplanted northerner, always found morbidly amusing).  MLK Day is a banner day for the rule of law as we honor one of the great Americans who staked his life on the principles of human dignity, inherent worth, and justice for all.  

For most of us, when we recall the Reverend Dr. King’s message, we default to the famous “I have a Dream” speech that he gave during the March on Washington in August 1963.  Less familiar is the acceptance speech he gave when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  It’s a shame, because King’s Nobel Acceptance Speech is no less compelling than “I have a dream,” and in light of current events, even more powerful and relevant.   In particular, as we consider the challenges to freedom of expression, religion, speech, and equality throughout the world, and the inherent problems of governmental corruption, oppression, and predation that lie at the heart of so many current conflicts, it is important to ponder these words (emphasis mine):

I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

He went on to proclaim:

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men.  I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shall overcome!

This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

On December 10, 1964, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King issued a call to action.  Today, as we celebrate his life, work, and legacy, I believe we owe it to ourselves to consider how each and every one of us intends to respond. 

Happy MLK Day!

*The full text of the Nobel Acceptance speech can be accessed at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-acceptance_en.html.

**Lee-Jackson-King Day was celebrated in the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1984-2000.

michelle hughes rule of law: In Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Reflections on...

michelle hughes rule of law: In Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Reflections on...: In Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Reflections on his Nobel Acceptance Speech : Today is Martin Luther King Day (formerly known in my a...

New Year’s 2016 – Getting the Right Perspective

Coming off of a way-too-short Christmas vacation, I sat down in front of my computer this morning only to be confronted by more than 400, unread security and conflict-related emails. [Happy New Year, I guess!]  One contained a link to a Foreign Policy feature article titled:  “10 Conflicts to Watch in 2016,” in which the author began with this cheerful observation:

For 20 years after the end of the Cold War, deadly conflict was in decline. Fewer wars were killing fewer people the world over. Five years ago, however, that positive trend went into reverse, and each year since has seen more conflict, more victims, and more people displaced. 2016 is unlikely to bring an improvement from the woes of 2015: It is war — not peace — that has momentum.

I thought about this for a few minutes, and wondered, “how can one person make a positive difference in the world?  How should people of good conscience respond to this trend?  Where do we begin?

This line of thought then led me to reflect on the words of a hymn that I was privileged to sing during yesterday’s church services.  The text was taken from Psalm 72, and says:

For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help; the afflicted also, and him who has no helper.  He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save.  He will rescue their life from oppression and violence; and their blood will be precious in his sight . . .

The Psalm reminded me of the current wars in the Middle East and SW Asia, the violence being inflicted on rural populations in Mexico and Central America, and the endless cycle of civil war and strife in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the way in which the developed world responds.  How different are the ideas in the Psalm from the normal messages that we hear from world leaders, political candidates, corporate CEOs, pundits, analysts, and celebrities.  Think about it.  What role do values play in the decisions that are made on the world stage, or the messages that are continually conveyed to the public?  What role should compassion play in our efforts to achieve some semblance of world peace?  Is it OK to compromise human rights if compromise leads to greater stability – even if that stability is built on the back of oppression?  Should the plight of war refugees be a central issue of world concern?   Or is it acceptable to dismiss the refugees’ misfortune as a sad but inevitable, by-product of war –”collateral damage”? 

As we begin the New Year, and before we get caught up in the detail of specific crises, I want to argue for a reset in our thinking.  Values matter.  They reflect who we are – as individuals and as a society.  They aren’t just idle rhetoric.  Wars are fought over ideals and ideas.  Great societies and rich cultures are formed around them.   Human life matters, regardless of caste, religion, ethnicity.   I made a resolution that this year, in 2016, I will speak out against injustice, prejudice, inhumanity, bigotry, and hardheartedness, wherever I see it.  I will not stay politely and conveniently silent. 

I invite you to join me in this.  Instead of making decisions and taking positions, and THEN trying to justify them with what we know is fundamentally right and fundamentally wrong, let’s start with our values, and move forward from there.    Happy New Year, with peace on earth and goodwill toward all.