MLK Day - Keep dreaming!

[sunvalleylaw]

Today in the USA is the celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King, the civil rights leader. His "I have a dream" speach is a beautiful ode to treating each other with love and respect. (I remember first listening to it on a stand alone record player, on vinyl, in school). Today's world makes it sometimes tempting to give up dreaming of the world getting any better, or even staying afloat.

Please take a minute today to reflect on the power of dreams, belief, and individual action; the power of love, respect and understanding. Seeing one another for who we are rather than for the masks we wear to get through the day is key.

I am glad I have new friends all over the world through this place celebrating a common passion. My dream is that enough individuals in this world choose to look at their neighbors, and their enemies, with fresh eyes, and with love and understanding.

Thanks MLK, for inspiring so many to dream and to believe.

Peace,

Steve

[blogan]

Listen to the "I Have a Dream" speech here.

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks, Blogan for posting that!

[Katastrophe]

Well stated, sunvalleylaw!

[blogan]

Last year, and the year before, when I was blogging a little more seriously (okay, a lot more seriously), I had some "deep thoughts" relevant to today's holiday. This points to both of them.

I have to admit, I didn't have anything profound to write this year.

As I listened to the speech, I couldn't help but think that we haven't made much progress on race relations, equality, and liberty, though. I think we've been going sideways full speed.

Where is this generation's Martin Luther King, Jr.?

[Spudman***]

Try watching "Gandhi" the movie. We need more of this kind of thing in the world.

I saw it when it first came out and re-watched it this past weekend. Brilliant! Ben Kingsley actually seems to age as Gandhi. Beautiful acting and most importantly, the message. We all have the power to make positive changes.

[sunvalleylaw]

Try watching "Gandhi" the movie. We need more of this kind of thing in the world.

I saw it when it first came out and re-watched it this past weekend. Brilliant! Ben Kingsley actually seems to age as Gandhi. Beautiful acting and most importantly, the message. We all have the power to make positive changes.

I love that movie. Again, a true story of an individual that inspired the world with individual acts of tolerance and peace. The ultimate expression of turning the other cheek.

What got me started today was reading a piece in the Boise paper on Def Poetry Jam director and poet, Shihan. He was discussing the world since the days of MLK and said that his (my) generation had been told they could do anything, but that was not true. I can see his point, and note Blogan's point that in many ways we have gone sideways. I will not get into a discussion of the US and world leadership right now. But I cannot accept that we as individuals are powerless.

Dr. King taught us to not accept or believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. Inherent in that statement is a belief that the bank of hope is solvent as well.

Thanks all for indulging my MLK ponderings. Please take time give it some thought yourselves.


EDIT: Thanks, Blogan, for posting the link to your ponderings. Cool site you have there!

[tot_Ou_tard]

Nice thread everyone. I was away driving my son to college during MLK day. It's great to return to thoughts like these.

By the way, I listened to the Flower Kings Paradox Hotel on the drive.
Excellent stuff & weirdly relevant to the "Dream & Transform" vibe of this thread.

[Spudman***]

By the way, I listened to the Flower Kings Paradox Hotel on the drive.
Excellent stuff & weirdly relevant to the "Dream & Transform" vibe of this thread.

That is exactly what they are about. Roine Stolt says he is tired of all the negativity in music and the world. That is one of his reasons for making the positive music that he does. Sure he has his cynical side but he saves that for solo albums mostly. The rest of the band has adopted his outlook as well. Everyone in the band contributed to writing on Paradox Hotel. I have to say that I have never met a nicer, warmer bunch of absolutely kick a** musicians as those guys.

All of us can further change by being kind, writing lyrics that lift rather than degrade, say good things, stay positive and humble and play from the heart. Those maybe not so little things are similar to the butterfly flapping his wings over the Pacific ocean and changing the weather in Mongolia.

We can all make a difference...as long as we try, and we believe that we can make a difference.

Change won't happen until you make it happen.

[tot_Ou_tard]

That is exactly what they are about. Roine Stolt says he is tired of all the negativity in music and the world. That is one of his reasons for making the positive music that he does. Sure he has his cynical side but he saves that for solo albums mostly. The rest of the band has adopted his outlook as well. Everyone in the band contributed to writing on Paradox Hotel. I have to say that I have never met a nicer, warmer bunch of absolutely kick a** musicians as those guys.

All of us can further change by being kind, writing lyrics that lift rather than degrade, say good things, stay positive and humble and play from the heart. Those maybe not so little things are similar to the butterfly flapping his wings over the Pacific ocean and changing the weather in Mongolia.

We can all make a difference...as long as we try, and we believe that we can make a difference.

Change won't happen until you make it happen.

Negativity & destruction are easy moves & no longer radical. What is truly difficult is to be creatively postive and still have energy, vibe, and mojo.

This is true in all the arts (& in life as well). Sappiness doesn't open your head nor perform open heart surgery.

[Myles]

Negativity & destruction are easy moves & no longer radical. What is truly difficult is to be creatively positive and still have energy, vibe, and mojo.

This is true in all the arts (& in life as well). Sappiness doesn't open your head nor perform open heart surgery.

Agreed. I've really noticed in the comedy industry that almost anyone can get a lot of laughs by swearing up a storm or doing sexual charged skits, but only a truly talented comic can put on a for-all-ages show and have both a 5 year old kid and his parents laughing. (and only a genius can do this every night)

[sunvalleylaw]

Today marks another year and another day honoring Martin Luther King. So, a respectful "bump" is in order.

Here are a couple facts from the Nobelprize.org site.

"At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated."

To Martin Luther King, Jr., honor to you on your birthday!

[Spudman***]

NPR radio today played some pretty profound MLK items. One was his phone call with LBJ after Kennedy was assassinated.

There were some other talks of his as well. Little spudette listened with me and then I had the pleasure of explaining what MLK was trying to achieve and how he was going about it. I can only hope that a little of it actually sunk in.

[R_of_G]

Great thread about a great man. One thing I do notice though every MLK day. While the "I Have a Dream" speech gets frequent play, few if any media outlets seem to touch the "Beyond Vietnam" speech he gave towards the very end of his life where he equated the American civil rights struggle with the struggle against war worldwide. That speech and "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" are the two most profound pieces of King's work in my opinion, but given our current climate, we hear little about the vehement anti-war stance King took in his latter days.