I think, on this day, it would be far more appropriate for me to give the floor to someone else.

No, I’m not talking about Akil and Matt, who should be picking up the slack for me while I’m bouncing around Asia the next few weeks (though I will be posting occasionally).

I’ve found that, the more I work on myself, and the more I learn about the world (and I still don’t know very much), the more I believe what Dr. King was saying. Oh, yes, we all know about him and he’s a shining beacon of light in American history and black history, world history even. But, as is the case with many prominent writers and speakers, we mostly see them as a symbol and rarely take the time to look at their words closely and really breathe them in.

I will not pretend I agree with everything he said – even the Rev. Dr. can’t make me a Christian – but I think, on this holiday that most Americans just use as a random day off and an excuse to party on a Sunday, we ought to take a look at some of the words themselves.

I don’t expect a whole lot of angry disagreement on this one – unlike Sunday’s post – but, before the big post I’m planning for Thursday, I figured this would be a nice, and valuable, interlude.

Wiki has a nice collection of a lot of his writing, which you can use to jump to longer pieces and deeper analysis.

Consider most of the quotes people post online are angsty, cynical bullshit fit for thirteen-year-old goths – and especially from some folks here in Daegu who shall remain nameless – reading about optimism and impassioned positivity could certainly serve us well.

Follow the link I posted above. Here are a few of my favorites.

“Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated.”

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. ... Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

“What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”

Have a good day, folks. And don’t forget Dr. King.

Peace and love (there’s a reason I sign off with this),
Justin PBG