Any day would be a good day to do some reading/research on MLK. Today is the holiday celebrating his life. When I was young my awareness of racism was limited; it was an evil that existed elsewhere. I was raised in an all white city. As a youngster I recall our nuns at school teaching against racial prejudices. As only a sports looney boy would do, I remember my indignation when I read that beloved Milwaukee Braves; Billy Bruton, Hank Aaron and others were not allowed to stay in the same motel with white team mates. It was the teaching that lasted and took root because segregation and prejudice based on race affected all; not only the sports hero.

I did not have any interaction/meeting with anyone of color until I attended Badger Boys State. Limited is how I’d describe my experiences until the Army. I of course knew from the news of the Civil Rights movement and the abuses against Blacks but again that was from within a bubble away from elsewhere. On a family trip to New Orleans I did witness a small part of segregation; such as white/black restrooms/water fountains and one scary boast of retold violence at a gas station. Yet, there was a detachment from the full force of racial hatred. As a boy I could feel clear in my own conscience and point to absolving aspects of an unbringing up in the North. However, being better than one or more Southern states does not equal justice for all. So, as one grows older and has more expeiences/interactions it is easier to see not only the wisdom of MLK but of the need for his principles.

My bunk mate in Basic Training was a black man from Cleveland. I still remember talking about family with him. I especially recall a hot day of running when he grabbed my shoulder harness and gave an encouraging tug to a wobbly recruit. The military provided me a great opportunity to intergrate with a wide range of Americans. All in all I believe the best ideal is that no one is superior to anyone else based on race or any other characteristic. That does not mean that you will get along with everybody; you will learn to choose friends, avoid bullies, tolerate many, and sometimes simply not hit it off. Remember, it is within you that others are not viewed as inferior.

Again, it may seem that America has not seen as much racial turmoil and hatred as today but such conclusions are in the eye of the beholder. Hisory indicates otherwise. Slavery and the 1800’s were violent to the extreme. Ditto segregation. The time of lunch counter sit-ins, Rosa Parks and the Civil rights Marches were very turbulent but primarily non-violent. Nonviolence was MLK’s hallmark. Brown vs. Board Of Education; the Civil Rights and Voter’s Rights Acts and Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech all broadcast the value of no-violent, robust debate on political differences.

Resist being drawn into the current or future poisonous political periods. It’s what in your mind that counts. Do some MLK reading.