A man can't ride your back unless it's bent.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
************************
Hello Ken
************************
Today we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who taught the world a great many important lessons.
It is a dangerous thing to speak the truth. When you speak the truth you expose the liars, and the liars don't like that. They will try to shut you up one way or another. Even if it's with a bullet.
It's a dangerous thing to speak wisdom. When you speak wisdom you expose the ignorant, and the ignorant don't like that. They would prefer not to listen to you, that's what makes them ignorant. They will dismiss you with stupid remarks like "Whatever" and "Suit yourself."
King faced a lot of liars and a lot of ignorance in his life. But one of the great lessons he taught us, and me in particular, was to stand up straight and strong and never quit.
He was also the champion of non violent protest. "Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation" he said. When he talked about non violence in the face of the aggression of the racists, it seemed to many as an impossible idea. But the idea has swept down through the years and is still being practiced, because it worked.
When he spoke calmly and persistently to the racist the man might still falsely believe that the black man was inferior, but he had to concede that the black man was still being denied his Constitutionally guaranteed rights. And eventually 100,000 people showed up in Washington, DC to agree.
The Equal Rights idea soon began to flow out into many directions. It was seen how those of other ethnic groups are also victims of prejudice and denial. The handicapped, the old, even the young are being unfairly treated by society.
After King's tragic passing the Civil Rights movement got very political, fractionalized and split. Each corner seemed to have a speaker on the subject and various fruitless plans were formed and attempted. But a few groups were formed, like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union (which some people don't like because they don't understand it) that kept the lines clear to the Law and the Constitution.
But those organizations and others like them are patiently, calmly and non aggressively speaking the truth. Because once the orators, preachers, theorists and self servers had run out of energy and gone, the words of King remained. As he said "Ten thousand fools proclaim themselves into obscurity, while one wise man forgets himself into immortality."
The battle is still going on in our mud stuck society. There are too many old ideas trying to shove aside and shackle new ones. The best way to fight is to stand tall, strong and calm, address ignorance with truth, and provide whatever wisdom you have, with imagination, even if the world thinks you're insane.
"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted."
(Martin Luther King, Jr.)
DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never give up
**************************
Showing posts with label Jr.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jr.. Show all posts
Monday, January 16, 2012
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Wise Man
Ten thousand fools proclaim themselves into obscurity, while one wise man forgets himself into immortality.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
*******************************
Ecclesiastes: 9:14 - 17 There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
___________________________
So have we yet had ten thousand fools proclaiming themselves through the halls of Congress? Or are there more to come? What more damage can be done?
We have a Patriot's Act which has nothing to do with patriotism. We have a Tea Party which has nothing to do with the original Tea Party. We have No Child Left Behind which encourages giving passing grades to failing students, closes schools and leaves a lot of children behind. We have a War on Terror which will never be won. We have a duly elected President who can't be
President because he's the wrong race. We have freedom of worship as long as it's Christian. We have squeamish proclaimers on Wall Street who arbitrarily lower our nation's credit rating. Congress has erected bulwarks against the American people. Our economy is besieged by the super rich. We have two very expensive battles going on in Asia neither of which we will win. We have labor unions to protect the rights of working people which are being eroded and closed down. We are "one nation, indivisible" except we're not. We are the "land of the free and the home of the brave" except that we're not. We have a comprehensive health care plan that is being torn apart and ultimately destroyed. We have seen the unadults of the House of Representatives bang the gavel down on the results of undisguised gloating hatred.
A patriot is one who stands up for his country even if it means standing up to his government. Where are the patriots? The goal of the original Tea Party was "No taxation without representation." If the wealthy are not paying their fair share of taxes why are they so strongly represented in Congress? "No child left behind" means that the entire nation should be focused on making sure American children ore getting the best education possible. We have road rage, racism, mothers killing their children, students killing their teachers. Terror is alive in this country and there are root causes for it that are not being investigated and addressed. We have never won a war we fought in Asia except when we dropped two atom bombs. There are those who are dedicated to getting President Obama out of office for no other reason than he's black and they've been doing that from the very start before he could even do something they didn't like. Freedom of worship means the Muslims can build a mosque wherever they want to. People fought and some lost their lives to establish the labor unions in this country. Without them workers will be exploited, and there will be slave labor. The kings and strong men of Wall Street are the biggest bunch of flip floppers in the country and they have convinced themselves and most of us that their figures represent the realities of economic life. We are not one nation, indivisible anymore. We are the Conservatives against everybody else. We are not a land of the free and home of the brave. Some of our freedoms are being eroded as the clock ticks and we have spawned a large group of cowards who sit in seats of power. Many American people are fed up with the government for just that reason. Why have many Americans even lost the consciousness of being an important people? Why have they lost self respect? Why have they lost the moral high ground? Why have they lost a sense of values? One group of Americans has been tricked into taking sides against another group. We are on the cusp of another Civil War.
So what's next? What else can they do? They can refuse to enact an intelligent and equitable tax structure and continue to defer to the rich which will deprive the treasury of money it could use to help improve the standard of living for the rest of us. They can minimize Medicaid and Medicare so that only the select few can afford to get and stay healthy. They can take away Veterans' benefits thus making the military a less attractive choice for young people. They can abate Social Security thus rendering thousands if not millions of older folks homeless.
The country needs that poor, wise man who forgets himself into immortality to drive out the villains and save the city. Where is he?
DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never give up.
***************************
SUMMER QUESTION
Summer is moving along, people.
It's a long, hot, sticky summer, so here's a hot, sticky question for you. Don't let the recent New York State decision rob you of your thunder.
Same sex marriage. Should it be legal or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
dbdacoba@aol.com
Only 14 answers so far.
You have until the last day of summer, but don't dally.
I eagerly await your answer.
DB
************************
WEEKEND CONTEST
4 Weird Songs
___________________
ZEY NKZ VQ AFQ KCCUQ ED ZEYM NEAFQM'T QZQ, VYA ZEY'MQ IEA KCCQKUWIR AE NQ.
W REA K METQ VQAJQQI NZ AEQT DMEN JKUBWIR VKMQDEEA AFMEJRF AFQ FEAFEYTQ AE ZEY, VKVZ.
JFE JKT FKXWIR IKCEJQEIT JWAF LETQCFWIQ JFWUQ VEIQCKMA JKT KHKZ KA AFQ JKM?
GWRKMQAAQT KIS JFWTBQZ KIS JWUS, JWUS JENQI, AFQZ'UU SMWXQ ZEY GMKYZ, AFQZ'UU SMWXQ ZEY WITKIQ.
Good luck.
DB
*************************
Martin Luther King, Jr.
*******************************
Ecclesiastes: 9:14 - 17 There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
___________________________
So have we yet had ten thousand fools proclaiming themselves through the halls of Congress? Or are there more to come? What more damage can be done?
We have a Patriot's Act which has nothing to do with patriotism. We have a Tea Party which has nothing to do with the original Tea Party. We have No Child Left Behind which encourages giving passing grades to failing students, closes schools and leaves a lot of children behind. We have a War on Terror which will never be won. We have a duly elected President who can't be
President because he's the wrong race. We have freedom of worship as long as it's Christian. We have squeamish proclaimers on Wall Street who arbitrarily lower our nation's credit rating. Congress has erected bulwarks against the American people. Our economy is besieged by the super rich. We have two very expensive battles going on in Asia neither of which we will win. We have labor unions to protect the rights of working people which are being eroded and closed down. We are "one nation, indivisible" except we're not. We are the "land of the free and the home of the brave" except that we're not. We have a comprehensive health care plan that is being torn apart and ultimately destroyed. We have seen the unadults of the House of Representatives bang the gavel down on the results of undisguised gloating hatred.
A patriot is one who stands up for his country even if it means standing up to his government. Where are the patriots? The goal of the original Tea Party was "No taxation without representation." If the wealthy are not paying their fair share of taxes why are they so strongly represented in Congress? "No child left behind" means that the entire nation should be focused on making sure American children ore getting the best education possible. We have road rage, racism, mothers killing their children, students killing their teachers. Terror is alive in this country and there are root causes for it that are not being investigated and addressed. We have never won a war we fought in Asia except when we dropped two atom bombs. There are those who are dedicated to getting President Obama out of office for no other reason than he's black and they've been doing that from the very start before he could even do something they didn't like. Freedom of worship means the Muslims can build a mosque wherever they want to. People fought and some lost their lives to establish the labor unions in this country. Without them workers will be exploited, and there will be slave labor. The kings and strong men of Wall Street are the biggest bunch of flip floppers in the country and they have convinced themselves and most of us that their figures represent the realities of economic life. We are not one nation, indivisible anymore. We are the Conservatives against everybody else. We are not a land of the free and home of the brave. Some of our freedoms are being eroded as the clock ticks and we have spawned a large group of cowards who sit in seats of power. Many American people are fed up with the government for just that reason. Why have many Americans even lost the consciousness of being an important people? Why have they lost self respect? Why have they lost the moral high ground? Why have they lost a sense of values? One group of Americans has been tricked into taking sides against another group. We are on the cusp of another Civil War.
So what's next? What else can they do? They can refuse to enact an intelligent and equitable tax structure and continue to defer to the rich which will deprive the treasury of money it could use to help improve the standard of living for the rest of us. They can minimize Medicaid and Medicare so that only the select few can afford to get and stay healthy. They can take away Veterans' benefits thus making the military a less attractive choice for young people. They can abate Social Security thus rendering thousands if not millions of older folks homeless.
The country needs that poor, wise man who forgets himself into immortality to drive out the villains and save the city. Where is he?
DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never give up.
***************************
SUMMER QUESTION
Summer is moving along, people.
It's a long, hot, sticky summer, so here's a hot, sticky question for you. Don't let the recent New York State decision rob you of your thunder.
Same sex marriage. Should it be legal or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
dbdacoba@aol.com
Only 14 answers so far.
You have until the last day of summer, but don't dally.
I eagerly await your answer.
DB
************************
WEEKEND CONTEST
4 Weird Songs
___________________
ZEY NKZ VQ AFQ KCCUQ ED ZEYM NEAFQM'T QZQ, VYA ZEY'MQ IEA KCCQKUWIR AE NQ.
W REA K METQ VQAJQQI NZ AEQT DMEN JKUBWIR VKMQDEEA AFMEJRF AFQ FEAFEYTQ AE ZEY, VKVZ.
JFE JKT FKXWIR IKCEJQEIT JWAF LETQCFWIQ JFWUQ VEIQCKMA JKT KHKZ KA AFQ JKM?
GWRKMQAAQT KIS JFWTBQZ KIS JWUS, JWUS JENQI, AFQZ'UU SMWXQ ZEY GMKYZ, AFQZ'UU SMWXQ ZEY WITKIQ.
Good luck.
DB
*************************
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
From The Deep
Life's most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?
Martin Luther King, Jr.
************************
A most astonishing thing in my opinion is the rescue of the Chilean minors from their
sepulcher deep in the desert. There is really something amazing about it. Today there are engineers, technicians, doctors, reporters from all over the world focused on this possibility. And the wives and relatives are there, waiting and not moving, on top of the San Jose Mine. San Jose, Saint Joseph, the patron saint of laborers and families.
The men are trapped in a gold and copper mine. They speak Spanish. Hundreds of years ago the Spanish government sent explorers and missionaries to western South America to convert the natives and mine the copper. This is ancient history.
The first important event in this story was the news that they are all alive. 33 men are alive in their tomb. Then communication was improved and supplies were sent down to them to keep them alive, messages were sent back up and delivered to family members. Now there is a tube with an escape capsule. By the time you read this it is expected that some or all of the men will have been plucked from hell into the land of the living.
I have been trying to follow this story as well as I can considering the location and lack of communication as far as radio and TV goes. But the majesty of the story involves the human spirit, not only of the trapped miners, but of the rescuers. People said if it is possible to make a miracle happen let's do it.
What is it that fascinates the world so much about this story? The rescue of the Pakistanis from their awful flood is a much bigger story. The ongoing dialogue between Israel and Palestine has global significance. And yet the world is focused on a small town in Chile and a hole in the ground from which 33 men who have been imprisoned in an earth bound dungeon for over two months are to emerge, one by one. And each one of them carries with him the reality of a resurrection, the overcoming of death. And for the men and women on top, in Camp Hope, there is no question of ought we or can we, the answer is, we must. King's question is being definitively answered by action.
In my mind this is a story that goes beyond, ingenuity, desire, optimism and courage. It's a not so simple matter of what one group of humans can do for another group of humans, with no further questions asked. It's apocalyptic.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
AUTUMN QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
At what event of the past do you wish you could be present? Why?
4 responses so far.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
************************
Martin Luther King, Jr.
************************
A most astonishing thing in my opinion is the rescue of the Chilean minors from their
sepulcher deep in the desert. There is really something amazing about it. Today there are engineers, technicians, doctors, reporters from all over the world focused on this possibility. And the wives and relatives are there, waiting and not moving, on top of the San Jose Mine. San Jose, Saint Joseph, the patron saint of laborers and families.
The men are trapped in a gold and copper mine. They speak Spanish. Hundreds of years ago the Spanish government sent explorers and missionaries to western South America to convert the natives and mine the copper. This is ancient history.
The first important event in this story was the news that they are all alive. 33 men are alive in their tomb. Then communication was improved and supplies were sent down to them to keep them alive, messages were sent back up and delivered to family members. Now there is a tube with an escape capsule. By the time you read this it is expected that some or all of the men will have been plucked from hell into the land of the living.
I have been trying to follow this story as well as I can considering the location and lack of communication as far as radio and TV goes. But the majesty of the story involves the human spirit, not only of the trapped miners, but of the rescuers. People said if it is possible to make a miracle happen let's do it.
What is it that fascinates the world so much about this story? The rescue of the Pakistanis from their awful flood is a much bigger story. The ongoing dialogue between Israel and Palestine has global significance. And yet the world is focused on a small town in Chile and a hole in the ground from which 33 men who have been imprisoned in an earth bound dungeon for over two months are to emerge, one by one. And each one of them carries with him the reality of a resurrection, the overcoming of death. And for the men and women on top, in Camp Hope, there is no question of ought we or can we, the answer is, we must. King's question is being definitively answered by action.
In my mind this is a story that goes beyond, ingenuity, desire, optimism and courage. It's a not so simple matter of what one group of humans can do for another group of humans, with no further questions asked. It's apocalyptic.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
AUTUMN QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
At what event of the past do you wish you could be present? Why?
4 responses so far.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
************************
Monday, August 16, 2010
What Do You Mean By That?
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
***********************
Unfortunately we are close to fools' fates, closer than we think. And one of the biggest dangers to our survival is what it has always been, the felonious use of language, the written word but more importantly the spoken word. How people speak influences either consciously or subconsciously the way people think, and most people don't notice it.
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately" Benjamin Franklin.
During the Revolution hanging was a common form of execution but no simple matter. Most Americans don't realize how extremely dangerous it was for our founders. If we had lost that war they would have faced terrible deaths.
Even as the conflict was going on many people lost their lives at the end of a rope. There was almost no falling through a trap door and breaking your neck. People were simply strung up and left to struggle until they died. It took some hardier sorts 3 days to die, jumping up to grab a breath in a futile effort to stay alive. Thus the phrase "dancin' at the end of a rope" came to be. Fortunately for the United States the founders did "hang together."
Today the battle is with words. Lately, one of the nastiest uses of language is something called "implicature," a seemingly simple remark with another, sometimes, hidden meaning. "He's Italian and therefore he's very musical." Are there any Italians who are not musical? Of course there are.
A few episodes ago I wrote about my colleague in Connecticut who was sincerely struggling with his racism and who referred to a man he had recently met as "black but nice." He was in effect saying that all or most black people are not nice. I had to talk him out of that verbiage. He wasn't even aware of how prejudiced a remark it was. And that's the problem with implicature.
"The Liberals have got it wrong again" is a vicious remark which says that all Liberals are always wrong and always have been. No one can make that claim. History proves it wrong.
Or how about "Even though he's a Conservative he's very smart."? Meaning all or most other Conservatives are stupid. History proves that one wrong also.
Now we have "He's a Muslim therefore he must be a terrorist sympathizer."
How are we ever going to live together as brothers with this sort of unjust and egregious language? How can we hang together if we can't acknowledge an individual's right to be who he genuinely is? How can we avoid the fool's fate if we keep speaking foolishness?
Beware of implicatures. They will fool you if you don't listen carefully to the fast talking fabulists.
DB - The Vagabond
************************
SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
Only 6 responses so far.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
********************
Martin Luther King, Jr.
***********************
Unfortunately we are close to fools' fates, closer than we think. And one of the biggest dangers to our survival is what it has always been, the felonious use of language, the written word but more importantly the spoken word. How people speak influences either consciously or subconsciously the way people think, and most people don't notice it.
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately" Benjamin Franklin.
During the Revolution hanging was a common form of execution but no simple matter. Most Americans don't realize how extremely dangerous it was for our founders. If we had lost that war they would have faced terrible deaths.
Even as the conflict was going on many people lost their lives at the end of a rope. There was almost no falling through a trap door and breaking your neck. People were simply strung up and left to struggle until they died. It took some hardier sorts 3 days to die, jumping up to grab a breath in a futile effort to stay alive. Thus the phrase "dancin' at the end of a rope" came to be. Fortunately for the United States the founders did "hang together."
Today the battle is with words. Lately, one of the nastiest uses of language is something called "implicature," a seemingly simple remark with another, sometimes, hidden meaning. "He's Italian and therefore he's very musical." Are there any Italians who are not musical? Of course there are.
A few episodes ago I wrote about my colleague in Connecticut who was sincerely struggling with his racism and who referred to a man he had recently met as "black but nice." He was in effect saying that all or most black people are not nice. I had to talk him out of that verbiage. He wasn't even aware of how prejudiced a remark it was. And that's the problem with implicature.
"The Liberals have got it wrong again" is a vicious remark which says that all Liberals are always wrong and always have been. No one can make that claim. History proves it wrong.
Or how about "Even though he's a Conservative he's very smart."? Meaning all or most other Conservatives are stupid. History proves that one wrong also.
Now we have "He's a Muslim therefore he must be a terrorist sympathizer."
How are we ever going to live together as brothers with this sort of unjust and egregious language? How can we hang together if we can't acknowledge an individual's right to be who he genuinely is? How can we avoid the fool's fate if we keep speaking foolishness?
Beware of implicatures. They will fool you if you don't listen carefully to the fast talking fabulists.
DB - The Vagabond
************************
SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
Only 6 responses so far.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
********************
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