Exactly one year ago, I wrote an op-ed praising the legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and lamenting the fact that his fundamental teachings and messages are rarely followed in today's world ("A King Among Men," Jan. 18, 2005). Why, if everyone seems to consider King a hero, do we continue to honor his name without honoring his cause? Another year has gone by and I find it difficult to say that we are really any closer to realizing the version of America that King envisioned.
Back in September, Hurricane Katrina left the Gulf Coast region in dire need. Even given the difficult circumstances, it is fair to say that the catastrophe has not been managed in the best way possible. Despite remarkable efforts to help the hurricane victims, America could have and should have done more. I knew that the Gulf Coast and, more specifically, New Orleans, was in bad shape when I read on the news that rogue snipers were actually firing at humanitarian workers as they tried to rescue hurricane victims from the roof of a hospital.
Don't get me wrong; in no way am I saying that I acted like a saint during this crisis. I basically bought my two dollar Katrina Help rubber band bracelet and called it a day. My point, though, is that the trends I commented on last year have continued, and King would not be completely impressed.
Unlike last year's op-ed, however, I intend here to steer away from a rant about morality and how we all ought to be better people under the watch of King. A year wiser, I am now not only able to regurgitate the messages of the great civil rights leader, but I might also be able to provide an actual explanation as to why America is making such slow progress toward becoming the type of society idealized by King: politics.
It is funny how things work, but it appears to me that the more we complain and argue about the lack of human rights and humanitarian efforts in this country, the more unable we are to make cohesive policy that will lead to positive change. In my mind, Martin Luther King Jr. was more of a civil rights and social leader than a politician. I don't believe he was very concerned with partisanship and election campaigns. Instead, he sought to work with whomever shared a similar vision. Success was achieved not with smear campaigns and clever one-liners, but with peaceful and rational challenges to the American people to make this place better.
If we had diverted our attention and reallocated resources during Katrina from politicking against FEMA and Mike Brown, perhaps a more efficient relief operation would have taken place. If politicians had focused less on condemning President Bush and which types of victims were allegedly getting special treatment, I believe that more people could have been helped overall. The problem with our society is that politicians, especially the ones who are not in power, seize any opportunity to damage an opponent's reputation. They seek personal gain at the expense of collective well-being. Politicians are content to attack others' failures and say that they could have done better without ever offering a solution of their own.
More recently, Reverend Al Sharpton came to campus under the veil of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech. Not surprisingly, he took every opportunity to make headlines by disparaging President Bush's policies, his Supreme Court nominee and his handling of Katrina. Predictably, Sharpton punctuated his tirade by commenting, as do most Democrats recently, on the negative aspects of the war in Iraq. In other news, Sharpton is also considering a run for the presidency in 2008. Sharpton is certainly a great leader and has the ability to rally support for his causes, but he strikes me as just another politician looking to manipulate the human rights movement to his advantage.
It is disappointing that the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. has been lost amidst rampant politicking. The civil rights movement is about promoting the welfare of each and every American, regardless of political or class affiliation. Until so-called activists like Sharpton realize this, I fear no great change in American society will ever be achieved.
