IN MEMORIAM...Coretta Scott King
First LADY of the US civil rights movement, Champion of nonviolence and racial equality, global leader, wife, mother and beautiful woman.
Today was a day that I found myself delving into one of my cherished books, appropriately titled for this day of both celebration and mourning for the passing of Coretta Scott King --- THE TRUMPET OF CONSCIENCE by Martin Luther King, Jr. with a foreword by Mrs. King. She wrote about her beloved husband May 1, 1968, putting his eternal imprint on all of us:
"Martin Luther King, Jr. --- black leader ---- was a man for all people. The killers of the dream could end his mortal existence with a single bullet, but not all the bullets in all the arsenals can effect his death. We will not have to search for him. Listen for him in the protests of the poor---black and white. Look for him in the places where social evils are nonviolently resisted by proud, brave people. Listen for him in the ever-increasing chorus of committed individuals. Remember him as a man who tried to be "a drum major for justice, a drum major for peace, a drum major for righteousness." Remember him as a man who refused to lose faith in the ultimate redemption of mankind."
It is ironic that today on the day of celebration of the life dedicated to peace and justice, we saw again the violence of disregard and disrespect bringing about more violence of riots and destruction, bombings and death.
Action without conscience one more time seems to create a tipping point that starts the chain of violence. For example, imagine a cartoon, so important to someone to express, that they were overlooked the sweeping disregard and disrespect for others that it conveyed.
On the other side of the violence, would the Phrophet Muhammad (upon him peace) or Jesus or any spiritual leader suggest that more violence is the solution? Who is it that the Phrophet Muhammad or Jesus for example would choose to violate or bomb? It's a question that stops anyone in there misdirection if one knows even a little about the wisdom of these too spiritual leaders. Gandhi was right when he said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of the differences here between violence against people and violence against property. "I am aware that there are many who wince at a distinction between property and persons --- who hold both sacrosanct. My views are not so rigid. A life is sacred. Property is intended to serve life. ... and no matter how much we surround it with rights and respect, it has no person being. It is part of the earth man walks on; it is not man." He also offered insight into the reason behind the riots he experienced that seem worthy of our consideration on this day of violence decades later:
"...people wanted the experience of taking, of redressing the power imbalance that property represents. ...A deeper level of hostility came out in arson, which was far more dangerous than the looting. It was a demonstration and a warning. It was directed against the symbols of exploitation, and it was designed to express the depth of anger in the community. ...the administration has ignored its responsibility for the causes of riots, and instead it has used the negative aspect of them to justify continued inaction on the underlying issues."
It would be difficult to point one finger at anyone for all the violence of this day. Our leaders in many places throughout the world have certainly set the tone for violence by their proclamations, wars, actions and inactions, but each of us to must have an examination of conscience.
"Forgiveness is the virtue of the brave. He alone who is strong enough to avenge a wrong knows how to love (and forgive). ...Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." --- Gandhi
Do you know we could change the whole world with just a shift in our collective consciousness and conviction to nonviolence?
What contribution will you make?
These are the questions that whisper in the wind from all those who have reached for peace. ...and today, we thank Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her example, courage and relentless pursuit of nonviolence for all people.
Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center
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