Becoming an Engaged Citizen: Celebrate Dr. King by Expressing Yourself

Can you think of any non-politician, American citizen who has had a bigger impact on modern American Life than Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.?  Dr. King was the ultimate ‘engaged’ citizen of the 20th century.  I wonder what new campaign he would be involved with if he were alive today?

Let’s not allow this day to become a mere government/bank holiday with little or no meaning.  In celebrating the MLK holiday today, it’s important to replace the simplified, almost fairy-tale version of King’s legacy, by remembering some important facts about Dr. King.

Today we might hear our corporate media offering lip-service accolades to King, if they mention him at all, with capsulated versions of King’s legacy that honor him by saying that he was the “man with a dream” (omitting the definition of that
dream), or that King was responsible for the Civil Rights Act and the Voting
Rights Act—and then move quickly on to the next Hollywood celebrity topic—lest we fully contemplate the deeper meaning of King’s activism. 

Shouldn’t we know more about how those important social changes, changes that we now take for granted, came about? 

What we certainly won’t hear is how controversial Dr. King was in his day and how our nation was torn apart at that time—not only by race relations, but by the Viet Nam War, the assassination of our president, John F. Kennedy, the assassination
of the leading Democratic candidate for president, Robert F. Kennedy (here in
Los Angeles), and the assassination of Dr. King himself. 

Many of you may remember those days…air pollution/smog was thick and
toxic, our lakes were so polluted that they caught fire, peaceful student protestors
were shot and killed, civil rights workers were fire-bombed, race riots broke out all over our nation’s cities and no one could stop the war in Asia.

Vicious epithets were openly and freely hurled at King in the media and elsewhere…he was called a “rabble-rousing radical,” an “anarchist,” an “enemy of our nation,” an “enemy of the people,” a “godless communist,” the “N”-word, and much worse.  We had to endure the type of on-air, public behavior that would be considered a hate crime today. 

This fact is basically forgotten on this holiday—but it shouldn’t be—not if we wish to
truly honor King’s legacy.

My own life experience causes me to empathize with anyone who stands up in public forums speaking Truth to Power, calling out corruption, duplicity, and the hypocrisy of political figures in public office.

Dr. King exemplified the best of applications of his role model, Mohandas K. Gandhi, who famously said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you…then you win.” 

But before you win, you must have that rare courage to withstand being completely ignored—though your cause is just; being publicly ridiculed—even though your cause is not a laughing matter; and being attacked, insulted, called names, even assaulted with violence, physical, emotional or otherwise, before the tide of opinion turns and your mission succeeds.

That type of courage is a very rare trait, in short supply, but fortunately it is also an American trait, and one that is currently experiencing a resurgence, especially in the past months of the Occupy Wall Street movement nationwide. 

That courage is the quality of character that Dr. King talked about and that we need to honor on this day.  He was the original Occupier.

That courage was shining brightly in the millions of Americans who joined Dr. King in his crusade for Justice.  Don’t forget those brave citizens on this day.  They were the ones who made the King myth possible, and those American citizens are as much a part of this holiday as Dr. King himself.  He did not do it alone, so let’s debunk that, too.

Don’t believe the myth that Dr. King as a one-issue citizen, either. 

When he began to publicly connect the dots and proclaim that “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death”…he grappled with the Devil himself!

That’s when Dr. King became even more dangerous to the power brokers of
what President Eisenhower originally called the “Military Industrial Congressional
Complex” and directly took on the threat that perpetual war posed to our
nation’s economy and democracy.

Perhaps that’s why Dr. King paid the ultimate price.  He stood up to that institutionalized, centralized power.

If Dr. King’s address at the Riverside Church was taught throughout the land and treated by our educators (especially parents), as being as important as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, would we be in the mess we are in today?

So the challenge for this special day, if we truly honor Dr. King’s legacy, and especially in this new election year, is to confront our own collective conscience.   And to do something about it.

Do not secede from the Union.

Become engaged as a citizen in our democracy. 

And the best way to do that is to express yourself and to speak your own truth
to power whenever you can. 

What makes you most angry about Congress?  Have you called your congress person to tell them what you think?  Phone calls work.  What are you
waiting for? 

What makes you most angry about our politicians in Sacramento?  Have you told your Assembly member or your State Senator what’s been ticking you off? Isn’t it time?

No one could possibly be pleased with our mayor or the “leadership” on
LA City Council…could they?  Have you contacted your City Council representative and shared your opinions?  When was the last time you spoke with the Mayor’s office?

Have you attended your local Neighborhood Council meeting and discovered
which issues—the ones that affect your community directly—are being
discussed?  Neighborhood Councils are the perfect opportunity for any citizen to become immediately engaged in our democracy on the most local of levels and meet your neighbors at the same time.

Call your Congressman.  Write a letter to the president.  Contact Sacramento. 
Occupy City Hall.  Circulate a Petition.  Make yourself heard at your local Neighborhood Council.

And be sure to register to vote, so that you won’t be a hypocrite.  Being
an active voter is what gives you the right to complain loudly.  Perhaps, even go the extra mile and persuade an unregistered voter to get in the game.  There’s no time like a presidential election year to do so!

As soon as you make that call, or write that letter, or attend that meeting, or register to vote…I guarantee that you will feel better. 

And it sets the best example for our kids, who are not being taught citizenship, or how to maintain our democracy as members of it.

And perhaps that’s the best way to honor Dr. King.  Talk to your kids about Dr. King’s work.

Don’t be afraid to dig deep and look at the ugliest parts of Dr. King’s story, when
speaking with young people old enough to grasp it, because it is an American
story that continues today, often with the same players and the same messages
that have been repeated for decades. 

We are much more susceptible to the rhetoric of hate when we don’t understand the history of it and carefully examine the consistency of ultimate insanity and violence that it has always represented.

Look what is happening right now. 

Are you satisfied with the crisis we’ve been delivered by our politicians and power
brokers?

Economic injustice is everywhere…Income Inequality , mortgage fraud causing foreclosure on millions of homes, endless wars and threats of more war, vulture
capitalism, manipulated tax codes that favor the Super-Rich only, inadequate school systems, voter suppression, corrupt politicians, stolen elections
that are controlled by billionaires, and no political leaders speaking out to
stop it.

In 2012, we must deal with our first presidential election being controlled by billionaire foreign nationals, (Saudi, Pakistani, Russians, Chinese, et all…) who may now contribute anonymously to political Super-Pacs and who now may unduly influence our election outcomes—thanks to the Citizen’s United decision by our Supreme Court two years ago this week. 

Allowing anyone from foreign nations to participate in our American elections has always been illegal throughout our entire history.  Why is it legal now?  Ask Justices Kennedy, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Anthony Scalia, and Clarence Thomas.

And it’s exactly what President Eisenhower warned us about in his farewell address to the nation.

If you’re not in the game, then the game is going to be stolen out from right under our noses, and with the consent of our thoroughly corrupted political leaders who look out for their own selfish, individual interests by quid pro quo support of the
Wall Street/Military/Industrial complex’s goals for Supreme Power, in exchange
for over-paid lobbyist positions once we kick them out of Congress, that is…if we can.

Is this any way to run a democracy?

The best inoculation that our children could receive against tyranny, fascism, fundamentalist extremism or loss of basic human and constitutional rights, is education, and an understanding of our American history….both the good and the bad.

It’s impossible to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming
from.

Yes, the holiday myth about Dr. King is that he was the man who had a dream.  Period. End of discussion. 

But don’t let that discussion end.  Keep talking!

Dr. King clearly articulated what our American Dream would look like and it certainly doesn’t look anything like that is happening in our nation today.

Let’s live the best American dream possible.   

Whenever you see people standing up for their rights, it encourages you to stand up for yours.

In the name of Dr. King, don’t let anyone else drown out your opinions with big money or fear-mongering or bullying or non fact-based opinions. 

Make yourself heard and….Express Yourself. 

Expressing yourself is the very best way to honor the true legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, and that’s something we can all celebrate!

© 2012 ~ Michael McCue