MLK Card 2011

Ignorant violence killed Martin Luther King Jr., through a nefarious impulse that he spent his life teaching us to reject.

We have learned so little in the four decades since his assassination. Violence continues to be a ubiquitous tool of both ideology and power and the tools of violence are increasingly available to any individual or group, no matter how malevolent or deranged. No nation, whether advanced or impoverished, is immune to this plague. Those who would profess non-violence as an unyielding dogma today are routinely dismissed as naïve or idealistic, as the violent path to an ideological or financial end is always more direct than the non-violent one.

The teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. are as relevant today as they were when he spoke them. Today is the American holiday that commemorates his life and work. He should have turned 81 years old this week.

Please take a moment today to reflect on some of his words and how they might still achieve their elusive goals. I have selected some that seem particularly relevant today (see card below). More can easily be found on the internet.

“Be the peace you wish to see in the world”