Dallas Morning News item - January 14, 2006
In his 1963 "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. said,"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful wordsand actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the goodpeople." Reflecting this weekend on the legacy of Dr. King and how he mightview modern society, what are "the good people" still appallingly silent on? (edited in print)Our national conversations are no longer about ideas but about people. Issues are polarized along party lines in lieu of being aligned with national interests. People have to be courageous and speak their minds but in a politically correct environment honesty becomes a casualty and good people protect their privacy and family by keeping silent on issues. Witness the debates on child abuse, immigration, evolution, abortion, terrorism, separation of church and state, school reform et al. Power, religion, politics, money, and special interests all come together in a maelstrom and wipe out intelligent debate.
But history has shown that silence is not the answer. Dr. King’s legacy should remind us that it is not about being right or wrong or being on one side or the other. It is about being engaged on issues and advancing the national debate.
posted by Mahesh Shetty @ 7:58 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home