I didn’t post anything on Monday, and I’m kind of glad that I didn’t. Because it more than likely would’ve been a video of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech or perhaps one of a hundred quotations that the man left behind.
I’m glad because I feel like it would’ve been empty. Perhaps not as empty as some of the politicians who flooded the interwebs with their hollow tributes to a man whom they either did or would have violently disagreed with, but still empty by my own measure.
Because here’s the question I have to answer for myself: what have I done to follow the example and not just the words? It’s come to mind a couple times this week and I have to admit, I’m not coming up with nearly the answers that I’d like to.
Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.
Mignon McLaughlin
That’s not a fun activity – doing some self-examination and finding yourself wanting – but it’s also something that we need to do personally and as a country if we’re going to keep this experiment of democracy rolling. It’s the active part of of forming a more perfect union – it’s not just hoping and praying for justice, but being an active participant in it.
I can only speak for myself, but if I’m honest… I haven’t been as active as I should be.
Which means what? Good question. However, I’ll start with this second quote and go from there.
Every day of our lives, we are on the verge of making those slight changes that would make all the difference.
Mignon McLaughlin