Introduction

"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love." (Click on MLK for audio link)

-Martin Luther King Jr., December 11, 1964




Dr. King is one of my favorite people. He was such a crusader and champion of civil and human rights. I really love the quote above. One time I visited Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama where Dr. King preached. I actually stood up on the altar where he once spoke to large congregations.

One of the thoughts that came to my mind at the time was what a small church it is, but at the same time what a beautiful church it is. It has red brick on the outside, but is very colorful on the inside with multi-colored stained glass windows. It made me think of Dr. King himself, who had an interior that was as colorful and bright as the inside of that church, but with an exterior that did not bend or break no matter what force was laid upon it.

I believe that Dr. King supported the spirit of the pursuit of happiness, the pursuit of justice, and the pursuit of peace with all of his heart and soul. He was someone that believed that all three elements were not mutually exclusive but interwoven together like the multi-ethnic and multi-diverse populations of these United States of America.

During this period of war, of injustice, of violence, I wonder what Dr. King would have said, or thought or felt. I think that Dr. King would be fighting for the justice of humankind and striving to make this world a more peaceful and just world. He would be fighting against the Iraq war, against the Bush agenda, against the corporate machine, against greed and the emphasis on individualism, and against poverty. He would be outraged at the corruption, at the bitterness, at the lack of any coherent community in this country. Dr. King would have taken a stand particularly after this government's (non) response to the impoverished people of New Orleans, many of whom were African American.

I hope to encourage those who visit this blog to express your thoughts on Dr. King, non-violence, peace, what the pursuit of happiness means to you today or any other topic you feel is related or even not related to these subject areas. I will try to respond to you in this forum or simply keep writing down my thoughts as they come.

Peace,

M