I'm not big most holidays. Any-one who knows me knows that I am no fan of New Years, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. In all honesty, I think they're nonsense. I've felt for a long time that most people use these days for no other reason than to get off of work.
But there is at least one holiday that I am all for. One that celebrates a person that actually lived in this world, and left a major impact on society by demonstrating peace in the face of violence. Of course I am referring to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. One of the few holidays that celebrates someone/something that is worth celebrating.
We throw the word 'Hero' around much too often. It seems that it is as commonly used to describe a decent individual as saying "Boy, that person is really nice." We use it to describe politicians, athletes, actors, singers, etc --- some of whom deserve the honor of being called hero because of the positive impact they may have made on society in one way or another. But certainly not all of them.
In my view, Martin Luther King Jr. was the very definition of a societal hero. Why? Because he stood in the face of hatred, of bigotry, of violence, and of evil and he challenged them all with the most powerful weapon --- nonviolence, which in turn, costs him his life.
There were many voices during the Civil Rights' Era on the side of civil rights who were calling for acts of violence to express their anger at the hell that many of their race were being subjected to by racists, whom easily got away with violent crimes against the African American community. It is reasonable to say that the anger preached by some civil rights activists was indeed justified. "Eye for an eye."
But MLK did not agree that anger and violence was a winning formula when trying to defeat hatred.
"Darkness can not drive out darkness. Only light can do. Hate can not drive out hate. Only love can do that," he once said. And I would say, if there is one thing I admired and love the most about MLK, it would be quotes like those --- and what they say about the truly astonishing character of this great man.
The ability to look the kind of evil that he looked at in the face and respond with peacefulness, and nonviolence --- I find to be one of the most remarkable things in the entire history of not only this country, but the entire world.
One last thing: I am a passionate anti corporal punishment advocate. And just today, I read a in interview that was conducted in 1985 in which King's daughter Yolanda said that her father "Never spanked us. He didn't believe in spanking kids." When I read that, I smiled. And my admiration for the man I had already considered a hero grew even more --- if that is possible.
"Hate can not drive out hate."
