Life thoughts, Personal & Nonsensical, Rants and Observations

good is not perfect

martin_luther_king

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“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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We like to think of good as solid, 100% defensible and, maybe most importantly in today’s thought, 100% recognizable. We would be wrong to think that way. Good is often nuanced with some subtle distinctions in practice. Good intentions can be perfect, but doing good is more often than embraced by not 100% good people (imperfect people) and actions are not always 100% right (imperfect implementation).

Which leads me to Martin Luther King. He was an imperfect man with a perfect vision for civil rights and humanity. He fought for what is good, and right, nonperfectly but with perfect intentions.

First. While MLK is tied very tightly to the rights of African Americans, I believe he would like to also be noted for his leadership on civil rights – for all. In today’s terms, he held Black Lives Matter in one upraised hand and All Lives Matter in the other. It is a fact he stood tall against persecution of any person regardless of color of skin or ethnicity. Personally, I believe had he lived he was destined for UN ambassador or even UN Secretary General fighting for freedom of choice everywhere.

Second. MLK day is a day celebrated in the US and is a special day to African Americans. I too celebrate the day and the memory of everything MLK fought for and the fight still going on today. I believe no white person can ever truly understand the depth of the persecution African Americans faced and what MLK stands for. Maybe I am naïve, but I just don’t think it possible.

To that last point. There is a fantastic episode of Boston Public which took this issue head on (whether white people have the right to discuss the “N” word and slavery). And while every bone in my body strains to have the depth of understanding and I am (or at least believe and hope I am) openminded as any white person could be, I don’t think it’s possible to truly understand unless you are an African American.

Oh.

And I believe white people who claim to understand are naïve.

That does not mean I won’t try and better myself nor try every time I can to get closer to understanding every chance I get. That doesn’t mean that on MLK Day maybe everyone should at least attempt to.

Let us turn our thoughts today
To martin luther king

So. With all that said. I would like to leave this post with some of the words of “Shed a Little Light” a wonderful song written by James Taylor and a clip of Aimee Mann performing it pulled from a West Wing Episode.

Let us turn our thoughts today
To martin luther king
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound

“We are bound together, by the task that stands before us, and the road that lies ahead.” Imperfect people bound together trying to do what is good and right. In our imperfection, even our versions of ‘good’ imperfect, we will attempt to forge the perfect path forward. And in doing so, maybe we will achieve the vision of an imperfect man trying to do good.

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January 18, 2021 by Bruce

Written by Bruce

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good is not perfect

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