#558 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Monday January 16)
Good morning,
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
There are few quotations from Dr. King as moving as this one circulated by Adam Torson the other day:
“To our most bitter opponents we say: ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you…. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.’” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength, p. 40
THE JOURNEY IS LONG
There are other calls for social justice throughout history that resonate as one contemplates the work of Dr. King. There is a central theme among many thinkers about the arduousness or the length of the journey to achieve a noble objective. That journey may be hard and may seem unattainable. But it is a journey worth joining. Dr. King’s words assure us that the process of change comes more from evolution (or, to use his word, “erosion”) than it does from revolution.
We live in a world with complex challenges to climate, hunger, health, energy, democracy—seemingly everything we hold dear. It often is difficult to imagine a solution to any problem if we view the problem in its totality. Problems become manageable and goals seem achievable when we look at conquering them one step at a time. We must learn to accept that even small changes that move us toward a better place are good enough, so long as we don’t lose sight of the greater objective and we continue to move forward.
Change requires not only ideas but perseverance, planning, and patience. And so, I offer these testaments to addressing the challenge one step at a time:
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.” Lao-Tzu
“Life is a journey. When we stop, things don’t go right.” –Pope Francis
“We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” –Marcel Proust
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the trees you plant.” –Robert Louis Stevenson
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” –Winston Churchill
REPUDIATION OF LIES
I have been harsh in condemning the Republican leadership in the House for not calling out the more egregious of its members for their outrageous behaviors and statements. It is hard not to be stunned at the unwillingness to call out Matt Gaetz, currently under investigation for sexual predation of minors, or Marjorie Taylor Greene for her racist and antisemitic remarks, election denial, and the condoning of violence. But the clearest example of a Republican House member untethered by the truth is George Santos, recently elected from Long Island. Since his lies started becoming apparent (and they seem to multiple each day), there has been remarkably little comment from the Republican leadership.
So it was heartening and gives me hope for the future that the Nassau County party chairman, Joseph G. Cairo, Jr. has called for condemnation of Mr. Santos, saying his campaign was one of “deceit, lies, fabrication.” Standing alongside Mr. Cairo is Representative D’Esposito. Wouldn’t it be great if there were more voices of truth and decency among our political elite.
This tiny step by a few Republican leaders is a start and fits neatly in the theme of Dr. King’s and others’ words today. All journeys begin with a step. The condemnation of Mr. Santos, if only by a few of his fellow Republicans, is a step in the right direction. Hopefully this step is the beginning of a journey toward truth and accountability.
Have a great day,
Glenn
From the archives: