Sorry, I just don’t feel the need to write another blog about celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equality.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I truly do believe the man was articulate, brilliant, and more than qualified to teach what he taught. I agree with his dream of living in an America where everyone is equal, where bigotry and hatred no longer exist, where every human being has the right to have their voices heard.
But I’m afraid that today’s America is far from the ideal that Dr. King preached and prayed for, and to be honest, I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
When my Christian faith is being hunted down and extinguished at every turn, but every other dogma, belief or religion is given the freedom to flourish without restriction, there is no equality.
When babies are slaughtered by the millions before they even take a breath, but people will march endlessly in their fight to save an animal, there is no equality.
When men are vilified and labeled toxic, treated as if they are no better than pond scum, and our sons are pushed to assume a more feminine manhood, there is no equality.
When women are not held accountable for their actions and words, encouraged to be crass and vulgar, and our daughters are told that in order to find fulfillment they must abandon anything traditional, there is no equality.
When the children of our nation are hungry and homeless, veterans go without needed assistance, yet those who storm the border are given a free pass, there is no equality.
When violent actions take precedence, and are excused, over peacefully orchestrated protests, and victims of racial bigotry and hatred are ignored because their skin color does not match the approved profile of the world, there is no equality.
When political ambition and personal gain take precedence over truth and justice, and the elite and the media join forces to circumvent our founding fathers and the Constitution simply because they don’t like a duly elected official, there is no equality.
When the average American can no longer voice an opinion or belief because they are afraid of the social justice mob chasing them down, verbally assaulting them at restaurants and Broadway plays, hiding in their pantries as an angry mob attempts to break down their doors, there is no equality.
Dr. King had a dream, and from where I’m sitting the world is doing its darnedest to rub it out. But I’m not saying his dream is not possible. We still have a chance to make this dream happen. While we still have breath there is still a chance to make the change.
It begins with you…and me…and every single person in the world taking a step back to think before we speak, to measure our need for social justice against the need of another person, to not only preach tolerance but to live it, to agree to disagree gracefully and without hidden agendas, to champion truth and justice instead of violence and lies, to treat each other with the same respect we are asking for.
Will we let Dr. King’s dream die, or will we realize that equality begins with me…and you?