Martin Luther King Day January 16th: What Would He Say About Today’s Economy & Poverty?
Posted: Sunday, January 15, 2012
by Fran Larson
http://www.franniesquotes.com/
As we approach Martin Luther King Day, I can’t help wondering what he would say about today’s economic situation. From what I have read, in his last days, he thought that things were beginning to turn around and that perhaps poverty could be stamped. What would he say if he could see that we are still struggling with the same problems with poverty and a Congress that continues to accept the perpetuation of poverty?
Martin Luther King Jr. was working hard to get people to Washington, DC. But when he told an audience, "We are going to bring the tired, the poor, the huddled masses. We are going to bring those who have known long years of hurt and neglect.... We are coming to ask America to be true to the huge promissory note that it signed years ago,"
The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.” http://www.progress.org/dividend/cdking.html
Toward the end of Where Do We Go From Here, in a chapter titled "Where We Are Going," King states his support for the guaranteed income policy, that right-wingers and left-wingers had both been studying.
“We are going to bring the tired, the poor, the huddled masses. We
are going to bring those who have known long years of hurt and
neglect.... We are coming to ask America to be true to the huge
promissory note that it signed years ago.”
In a sense the poverty of the poor in America is more frustrating than the poverty of Africa and Asia. The misery of the poor in Africa and Asia is shared misery, a fact of life for the vast majority; they are all poor together as a result of years of exploitation and underdevelopment. In sad contrast, the poor in America know that they live in the richest nation in the world, and that even though they are perishing on a lonely island of poverty they are surrounded by a vast ocean of material prosperity.
In 1956, King preached a sermon that echoed Basil's condemnation of greed: "God never intended for a group of people to live in superfluous, inordinate wealth while others live in abject, deadening poverty. God intends for all of His children to have the basic necessities of life, and He has left in this universe enough and to spare for that purpose. So I call upon you to bridge the gulf between abject poverty and superfluous wealth."
In 1962, King preached, "I see hungry boys and girls in this nation and other nations and think about the fact that we spend more than a million dollars a day storing surplus food. And I say to myself 'I know where we can store that food free of charge - in the wrinkled stomachs of the millions of people in our nation and in this world who go to bed hungry at night.'" (Huffington Post)
King's economic bill of rights called for massive government jobs programs to rebuild America's cities. He saw a crying need to confront a Congress that had demonstrated its "hostility to the poor" — appropriating "military funds with alacrity and generosity," but providing "poverty funds with miserliness."
In 1995, this was said “As 1995 gets underway, in this nation of immense wealth, the White House and Congress continue to accept the perpetuation of poverty. And so do most mass media. Perhaps it's no surprise that they tell us little about the last years of Martin Luther King's life. (http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2269).
"Just as nonviolence exposed the ugliness of racial injustice, so must the infection and sickness of poverty be exposed and healed--not only its symptoms but its basic causes."
Our livesbegin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King would not be too happy about Wall Street Fat Cats Partying, While Others Are Financially Struggling.http://fran-larson.WryteStuff.com/swa806980-The-World-Keeps-Turning-As-Wealthy-As-Wall-St-Fat-Cats-Party-And-Justice-A-Joke.htm
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Thanks for posting this, and Martin Luther King, Jr was one of my favorite Republicans, and many don't know his "I have a Dream Speech" or it's true meaning.... so here is the whole speech!
quote:
"I HAVE A DREAM"
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!".....unquote: the end.
If MLK were alive today, I think he would be appalled at how he has been misquoted or misunderstood.
Great article, thanks.
I heard that on the news (that most people only know the first few words of the dream speech). Thanks so much, Elle! It is so motivating and wise!Here is a summary of the book "Where Do We Go From Here", which has been out of print for ten years:
"Where Do We Go from Here
by Martin Luther King Jr., Vincent Harding (Introduction), Coretta King (Foreword by)
4.48 rating details 81 ratings 17 reviews
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., isolated himself from the demands of the civil rights movement, rented a house in Jamaica with no telephone, and labored over his final manuscript. In this prophetic work, which has been unavailable for more than ten years, he lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America's future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and quality education. With a universal message of hope that continues to resonate, King demanded an end to global suffering, asserting that humankind-for the first time-has the resources and technology to eradicate poverty.(less)"
The critic shows that MLK did not want more Welfare or Food Stamps, but more Education, Job Opportunities, and Equalities for Blacks, so they could have a Middle Class Life and The American Dream...that is all that would get them out of the ghettos and he understood that!
And that is what I meant about him being misquoted and misuderstood, too many try to use him to get more Welfare and Foodstamps. Bill Clinton did more for equality than anyone by restructering Welfare and many went on to do better and find work, and it also helped balance the budget. As a country we are not doing this right, although the recession is a problem that has to be addressed while we are without jobs....we need to look at the problem differently."I never thought Dr. King wanted more welfare and foodstamps. He was too progressive and intelligent for that.
When doing my research, I also noted that most people did not know about this book (I did not) and that the book was kept quiet.on purpose (?)
Here is what I found:
Toward the end of Where Do We Go From Here, in a chapter titled "Where We Are Going," King states his support for the guaranteed income policy, that right-wingers and left-wingers had both been studying.
Many people do not know that the enlisted military is made up of many, who escaped the ghetto via that income stream, to get access to future education on the Education Bills provided.
The 'guaranteed income policy' sounds good in theory, but is nothing more than welfare, if it is not worked for.
The Bible is clear "if a man will not work he shall not eat"...so teaching to fish is far better than handing out fish, without a concern of consequence.
I'm a former reservist, and I believe we have made better citizens in the military, by making that avenue available as a revenue source to all willing to join, and instead of 'just for war' soldiers, that we should look at military forces, who are prepared to handle natural disasters and man made trajedy (like that ship) at a moments notice. That gives income, but requires service in exchange.
The Red Cross is no longer able to handle all that is coming via earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, or hurricanes, etc. The volunteers are still much needed where they are, but they need the type of people that used helicopters to rescue in NOLA during Katrina.
It does not have to be a handout to the 'able bodied"You have educated me and made some excellent points, Elle. Politics is not really my strong suit, but I can see that you are very well versed.
I agree that an education should be offrered for those who are in the military.
I have wondered about the Red Cross and of course, as you point out, they are overwhelmed by such a rash of natural disasters.Thousands of poor youth have been educated since the GI Bill of WWII, Veterans Educations Assistance, Montgomery GI Bill over the years (among other bills). That money has been part of our military budget all these years.
People think the military budget is all about war, but it isn't. It's about readiness (reserves) in case we are attacked, it's about giving a 'step up' to those willing to work for college benefits, and health insurance, that they could never afford on their own. Cutting that budget cuts educational benefits, insurance, and the openings available for the uneducated who can't afford college.
Cutting that budget will end a lot of education that translates to jobs in the private sector.
The military is more than bootcamp or war...once bootcamp is over the soldier is tested so they can be sent to a military school in alignment with their abilities and choices. Once the school is completed, then they are assigned to a corresponding job
After three or four years, then on the outside they can get a 10 point advance above anyone else applying for the same job, just like a disabled 10 pt advantage. If they are a disabled Vet they get both, which is 20 pts. So with the point advantage and three or four years experience, they can get a Federal, State, or Civilian job that puts them well ahead of their peers. That is how many escape the ghettos and go on to the Middle Class.
As for Red Cross...some training is available in military or expensive civilian training...like those Katrina rescues from a helicopter over water, which military operations like Navy Seals, Army Rangers and their support groups already have knowledge of. Some of the training parallels needs in civilian jobs like Fire Departments/ Police/FBI/CIA/ATF/DEA saving local/govt agencies lots of money in training.
We have the greatest military in the world, but without funding it will not always be that way....and many progressives want us to do away with our military capabilities, Why? Once it's gone we are vulnerable, and don't think we wouldn't be killed as civilians...Stop funding the military properly and in ten years we will be no better than the UK or France.
Thanks elle for your great and informative comments!I was searching for history information and found this questionnaire...check this out:
http://www.nbra.info/DYK-HistoryTest
couldn't get anything to come up on this url..You would have to copy and paste, as links do not work in comments.
David's article "A Tribute to King, Poem" has that history test printed out, and notice they give you the answer before reading questions.
You are a great writer, and I know you are a patriot too...thanks for all you do.
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