First, let me say that this is not one of those hate posts. Secondly, I want to assure anyone reading this that I am indeed an intelligent person and that I do not intentionally set about to incite or induce hatred. Martin Luther King Day to me is a TRUE conundrum of knowledge, this year, in the year of Obama especially. I do see the significance of what the man did in terms of pressing the issues of racial equality and human rights. I do believe that he was a major catalyst in solvency of a national, and some would say international, movement. These things I understand. What I do NOT understand is how we as a nation and as people with high levels of real common sense seem to somehow place this man on such a pedestal. In my lifetime I have seen this national holiday grow from being a day of respect and honor into a national spectacle that seems to rival nothing short of Christmas in its commercialization and hype.
It shocks and surprises me that we, who consider ourselves intelligent, have let this evolve into something that it should not be. What would happen if we all put as much pomp, sensationalism, and over commercialization into Thomas Edison day? That man was largely responsible for the age we live in with regards to advancing humanity from a literal dark age. What if we took the day off work and decided we needed a parade for this? I could go on and on citing major figures in United States history that have all had just as much impact on all of us as MLK but that would not help with my point.
I am sure this post if viewed by enough people could be construed as hateful but I assure you it is not. I mean no ill will towards anyone. I just feel like we have really gone overboard with this thing. While we are idolizing, or deifying him, lets just say he walked on water and came back from the dead too.
4 thoughts on “Misguided Laudable Knowledge day”
I am a Liberal Democrat and voted for Barack Hussein Obama on November 4, 2008 – and proud of both facts!
Obviously my wife does not share my views..
Very well stated, Jay McPherson.
I don’t think you are a racist and I dont think you are unintelligent…
I do however think your view is a little skewed.
first off above all things we have to get out of the way the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. was as you say just a person….we are all just people…Just as Thomas Edison was just a person.
We put people that do remarkable things in to a light that perhaps makes them seem more pious then perhaps they really are..after all they are just people, right.
I think in this aspect you are truly correct but every person who has ever done something great…lets face it..probably masturbated…probably said things that sounded ignorant and racist….perhaps they had an affair…..take Kennedy for example or Clinton. The thing is that is not what defined them as people.
It was the good things they did that mattered.
You compared Edison and the light bulb to MLK jr and the civil rights movement and this is where I disagree.
The light bulb as you said did indeed deliver a world from a “dark age”..but this deliverance was not fought for…no one ever got the full force of a fire hose and dogs for wanting a light bulb. No one ever got beaten, raped, or even hung for owning or not owning a light bulb.
When you are talking about Martin Luther King Jr. you are talking about the voices of Millions of people. You are talking about A civil and spiritual movement of proportions unparalleled throughout history.
While I agree that Edison was an amazing man I just dont see the comparison for the argument of Nat’l holiday that you make here.
I certainly don’t expect to change your mind in this matter. And I certainly respect what it is that you are saying. I feel like perhaps it has been articulated in the wrong way.
Yours,
Jay