#251 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Tuesday January 18)
Good morning,
I hope everyone had a wonderful MLK weekend.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
I realized yesterday that I had not written anything to commemorate the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birth. Here are several quotations among the many wonderful lessons he taught:
“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”
“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…”
Each of these is worthy of a musing of its own (so be ready…).
GRAMMAR LESSON
Thank you, Mark Smith, for reminding me that it is redundant to say, “the one-year anniversary” or “the two-year anniversary.” Of course, anniversaries are annual, as anniversary derives from the Latin “annus.” One should say the first anniversary, instead.
HOLIDAYS TO COMMEMORATE US ALL
Amidst all the talk of the historic commemoration of “dead white men,” it bears pause to acknowledge that our State and federal holidays feel more inclusive now, as our nation has evolved, than some might appreciate. Of the eleven California State holidays, only three individuals are commemorated by name: George Washington, Dr. King and Cesar Chavez. Columbus has been totally usurped by “Native American Day” (I much prefer the dual acknowledgement of Columbus and Native Americans). The race and color-neutral Memorial Day, which remembers those fallen in wars, Veterans Day, Labor Day (acknowledging Labor, particularly unions), and Thanksgiving are part of the national holiday slate. Christmas Day is, of course, the State observance of a religious holiday. Lastly are Independence Day and Admission Day.
I suppose Admission Day might be perceived by some as problematic. The Bear Flag Revolt made California a republic (briefly), wresting control from the Mexicans, who wrested control from the Spanish, who colonized this area that was occupied in parts by Native Americans. It is, like much of history, problematic.
I still miss Lincoln’s Birthday (which, as people of our age know, is February 12, right before Valentine’s Day (a non-holiday celebrating love). Were Lincoln alive today, I suspect he would be pleased to learn that, while his birthday is not commemorated, Dr. King, an intellectual, oratorical, and political descendant of Mr. Lincoln, a soldier in the same fight, is remembered…
250 AND STILL GOING STRONG
Yesterday also was an anniversary (though not an annual date), the 250th Musing Beyond the Bunker (and, of course, #650 from the beginning of the Musings From the Bunker). And still going strong.
FREE AT LAST
I’d like to end with the words of Dr. King, always worth rereading, in the stirring conclusion to his speech from the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963:
“…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…let it ring from 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. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”
Have a great return to the shortened work week,
Glenn