Expediency asks the question - is it politic?
Vanity asks the question - is it popular?
But conscience asks the question - is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position
that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular,
but one must take it because it is right.
~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hello Teresa:
ReplyDeleteOn so many occasions one is tested.We always hope to have the strength to say 'Is it right' and have great admiration for those who do have the voice to speak those words.
This is a wonderful post.
Jane and Lance, It's so nice to hear from you again. I trust all is well. Yes, we have do have many such occasions to stand for what is right. And stand we must.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Teresa -- Each image on the video you posted is worth a million words.and also each image is worth a a million tears. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteAmen.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I follow a blog called Newsfromnowhere, by Alan Burnett, and he once said in a comment that history books should be just books of photographs, that they would tell the story better than words. This video is a testament to that, I believe. Yes, a million tears. Thank you for that very moving thought.
ReplyDeleteWill, Yes. Thank you.
I am so glad I have your blog to keep me informed about many things I would otherwise miss. Happy birthday, MLK. That one I already knew. But that video is new to me. Thank you, Teresa.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this, Teresa. I have heard MLK's speech dozens of times and it never ceases to move me and never more so than when I stood at the LIncoln Memorial and looked across the reflecting pool, imagining all the people who attended the rally. I actually had to memorize this speech in high school for a sociology class.
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm so glad you posted this. I hadn't seen this one. I try showing these things to my little granddaughter. As you know, she's bi-racial...
ReplyDeleteA very good tribute to a great man.
ReplyDeleteDJan, It's such a moving video, isn't it?
ReplyDeletePenny, I've never stood at the Lincoln Memorial. It sounds nice. So many important moments in our history are reflected there.
TM, You have a lovely post today, and it inspired me to do something. I thank you.
Jack, I hope your eye is healing quickly and you can resume your walks around your ranch soon. Thank you. Yes, a great man.
Sadly , What Maked MLK Such A Fine Politician Is The Rarity Of His Beliefs.......
ReplyDeletePowerful! I've been fortunate to have lived through part of the civil rights revolution. I say 'part' because the revolution isn't over yet.
ReplyDeleteTony, Unfortunately, that is very true.
ReplyDeleteFearguth, No, it certainly isn't. It has a long way to go. The rats in the sewer are poking their heads out and they are many.
I've not seen this video, and it's quite moving. So many people today just can't comprehend what it was like to live through the societal upheaval known as the civil rights movement, or the more general transformation that took place from the 50s to the 60s.
ReplyDeleteKing and others of his generation - I'm thinking here of Barbara Jordan, especially - need to be held up again and again, not only as "fighters for the cause" but also as models of dignity, grace and perseverance.
When I compare the lunch counter sit-ins of my generation and the occupy protests of today, I just shake my head. King understood the need for self-respect as well as a disciplined movement. We should pay more attention to his legacy.
A very stirring video. I feel many have set these thoughts aside and don't realize what has made our country strong through sacrifices in their lives.
ReplyDeleteTeresa,
ReplyDeleteI think the question you ask 'is it right' is one we address at many levels and it truly is a personal one...who are we to judge for others?
good question to ponder today!
shoreacres, And many good people lost their lives. They fought for all of us, really -a fight for human dignity, respect for self and respect for all. I agree, "we should pay more attention to his legacy."
ReplyDeleteSteve, We have collective amnesia it seems when it comes to these things.... It's important to remember and remind others.
Tracy, On a personal level, you are so right. On another level, when it comes to equality for all people, it leaves no room for question. It is right. I'm sure you agree.
The video is so forceful, very moving, so right. Looking back on some of this, I am very ashamed to be white skinned. We must ALL stand up for what is right, always; never shun the least opportunity to speak out against any wrong.
ReplyDeleteDear Teresa,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this tribute to a man of great conscience, large heart, and deep soul. The images on the video brought back so many memories. The photographs are printed indelibly in my mind. I was in the convent and in Dayton when these photographs were taken. And to my shame, I did not go to the South and march. I knew the rightness of the cause. The grace of the cause. But I stayed safe. And yes, we have much to learn from MLK if we are ever to see that mountaintop.
Peace.
This video really took me back. I began to get a sick feeling in my stomach, rising to my throat, just as I did in the '60s as I became aware of the brutality of racism and segregation. Thank you for posting this today.
ReplyDeleteSissy, I understand exactly what you're saying. It's essential that we all take a stand for Right.
ReplyDeleteDee, "The grace of the cause." I love that. Beautiful.
Nancy, You're most welcome. Brutality is the right word to describe it. It's unconscionable and unacceptable.
Teresa, I'll never forget his speech in Washington in 1963, it was one of the greatest and one of the most moving moments I have experienced.
ReplyDeleteI see it is his birthday on 15. January - and also Martin Luther King's day on the third Monday of January. It's a fine idea to give tribute to a great man like him.
Grethe
Grethe, I'm so glad you've shard that here this morning. I've been watching several videos of him during that time and they are so moving. They also have made me painfully aware that we have much further to go on the road to truly living his dream. Thank you for commenting.
ReplyDeleteStopping by to say hello! I've missed visiting.....
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many of us take advantage of the fact that almost not a day goes by wherein we don't have at least several chances to act in such a fashion?
ReplyDeleteTo do the right thing, simply because it is the right thing to do.
Awesome post - thanks for sharing!
Just found your blog via George's Transit Notes. I have added it to my blog list.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, I've just realized that I might be the oldest here. An antiquity! You are all so young. It is almost fifty years ago I saw and heard MLK from Washington. I followed everything on TV, so much happened in the US , the drama with the busses, the little girl who had to be guarded to school, the students who were killed, Martin Luther King and all the hope he gave to us all, like the two Kennedys - and then, all our hopes were destroyed. Three shots. Three great men gone.
ReplyDeleteGrethe
Bossy Betty, It was such a special treat to see you back this morning, I can't say how much it meant to me on this particular morning. Thank you for visiting me here, as well. I love our connection.
ReplyDeleteaslongasimsinging, This is a nice surprise, one Bobby Darin fan to another. Yours is an excellent question. I am going to stay more alert to all the possibilities. Yes, the right thing because it is the right thing. You are most welcome!
Cait, I love adding to my connections here from folks all around the world, and so to meet someone from wales is a very nice way to move forward through my day. I cannot wait to dig into your blog more. It looks beautiful and is rich with wonderful ideas. I'm so glad you found me via George. His blog is a true treasure trove of images and ideas.
Grethe, I Love that you add those many experiences to our dialogue here. You always have something of significance to share - not to put pressure on you, or anything. :) They were such tumultuous times, and I hope all people will recommit themselves to seeing a greater fulfillment of his vision for the U.S., for the world!
There was so much happening back then when I was in high school..seemed to start with JFK--the Cold War, bomb shelters, assassination, civil rights, the riots, the marches, assassination, the Viet Nam war, protest, women's lib, hippies, drugs, free love, communes, Kent State, the Democratic convention...it just never ended for years.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid we used to drive down to Florida on vacations so we saw all the "colored" and "no colored" signs, the shacks, the mansions, the gators, the snakes. Was my first introduction to furious hatred when we visited down there during the civil rights movement. Horrified me.
This video stirred my memory. All that horror and conflict of humanity...was why once I left home I have avoided the news most of my adult life. I was glued to Watergate, though, I admit it--back when I still believe in truth and justice prevailing. ;)
Moving, wonderful video. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteRita, That racism is still so prevalent is beyond troubling to me. It is showing itself in different forms and using the internet now to convey it and it's ugliness filled with hatred. We still have a long way to go, it seems....
ReplyDeleteJenny, Thank you for watching. Welcome back from Cairo! Your images are wonderful.
This was a MAN. Put that face on Rushmore asap.
ReplyDeleteCletis, I agree.
ReplyDeleteWhere Are The Leaders Of His Stature Today?
ReplyDeleteThey seem non-existent, don't they? Rat in the sewers, instead.
ReplyDelete