Martin Luther King Jr. Day

To Jason and Earle, who I'm consistently involved in fantasy basketball leagues with, I apologize that you have to read this two years in a row. Now that I have a blog, I believe this is the more appropriate place for this note. I did not want Martin Luther King Day to go by without attempting to add some perspective. I was born in L.A. in 1971, in a multi-cultural community. I've been fortunate enough not to see racism. Oh, sure I've seen dummies who called people of different races bad names; and I've seen older women clutch their purse tighter around minority young men; and I've seen people stereotype different races. To me, these are examples of a category lighter than racism - ignorance or personal prejudice. But what I would consider "REAL RACISM" or institutional racism as Stokley Carmichael defines as the organizational structure excluding of minorities (specifically blacks), I have never seen.
So Helen, my now 7 yr old was in kindergarten last year, and was being taught about Martin Luther King in school and I was concerned exactly what message would be taught. So, as a parent I am constantly trying to gently communicate to the girls the things that they may not be ready for. Before this school lesson, Helen wasn't aware what a black person was. I recall a situation when she told me to "Look at that black guy". I would look over only to find a white guy in black clothes. She has friends of different races, but the issue of the color of their skin has never been a question in her mind. It was of no significance to her, as it shouldn't be. I certainly did not want the school to start teaching her the opposite of her own true and decent experience, I did not want them teaching her that race SHOULD BE of great focus. To me, creating this distinction (or segregation) in my girl's mind at her age can only be a negative thing. So, I decided to read up a little bit on Martin Luther King to see if I could take some truth right from the doctor's mouth into my girls' ears in a way that they can understand it constructively.

Some things that struck me tremendously, were there was not very much that I could directly communicate to my 6 year old (at that time) for two major reasons. 1. King's arguments were political about how the government needs to change. This is a concept that is over the head of my very intelligent youngin. 2. The reason I wrote this piece, was that it is just shocking how bad racial oppression was just 45 short years ago. This is stuff that happened in our parents lifetime. I'm only 8 year short of 45!! It's not so long ago that the situation in this country was so absolutely disgraceful with respect to black people. The degree of this disgrace, I can not yet communicate to my developing daughter and stunt her developing spirit by telling her the country I love so much and uplift every time I get a chance acted so evilly towards decent people for no good reason.

I was most moved by King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". Here's an excerpt from it to spell out how much evil America allowed, and why King DEMANDED change from this government and its blatant hypocrysy towards the Declaration of Independence principal stating that "All Men are Created Equal":

"We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill -your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience."

Can you imagine such treatment just 45 years ago? I hope that this information can cause us all to take a moment, bow our heads and thank the Almighty God that this great man was willing to answer God's call to stand boldly, and give his life, for the Freedom that America holds as it's ideal, at such a time when his words could be heard loudly. At such a time, when he could change the hearts of men.

Now as we are on the doorstep of a new first for black Americans, Monday will serve as a reminder of a great man and why we celebrate him.

The Great Halloween Debate

My wife and I had a discussion, err - debate, err - argument regarding trick or treating this Halloween and I'd like to write about it and seek advice from the Civil Conservative readers (both of you!) to help settle this debate. You see, we have two daughters, 6 and 5 year olds, and my wife and I took them out trick or treating this year. The question up for debate was what time is it appropriate to take them out?

My position was that since they are so young, an earlier time would be better for them. One of them is afraid of the dark and the other I believe would be at least uncomfortable in the dark. So, this passed year, we took the girls out at 5 o'clock by my suggestion for an early trick or treat. (In order to get a clear idea, this is still during daylight savings time and sunset was at 6:01pm that night.) My vision of going early was to be heading back home once it got dark. Also, the younger girl gets tired easily and would be asking for me to carry her all the way home, if we didn't go out early.

My wife's position was that this was much too early to go out. She felt that we should at least wait until the sun goes down. She pointed to the facts that 1. there were NO other kids trick or treating at this time and 2. her own experience growing up proved this to be too early. Not only did she view it as too early, but in addition she expressed that such an early trick or treat time was rude to our neighbors. Many of whom weren't even home, and most of those we did see had to shuffle to get ready, stating "You're here early!"

Please comment and add your two cents to this issue. I'm sure there are parents our there with kids our age that can speak on this topic who have come to a solution. Even if you don't have kids, I'd like to hear from you too.

Here's a picture of my girls the "princess fairy" and cheerleader with a neighborhood friend. It also better reveals the time of day.



If you're wondering, Superbaby (Mikey) slept through most of the evening, probably from a busy day saving everyone:

Giving Thanks FROM America

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I am thankful for all who read this particular posting. Its purpose is to make the case of the clear connection between God and America by using the example of tomorrow's great holiday. The following are a few excerpts taken from proclaimations regarding Thanksgiving from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Men whose intellect, wisdom and character far exceed the politicians of today. My hope is that those who have Faith in God are encouraged to know that such profound leaders share their view that America and God are congruous. To those who believe that religion is the major devisive factor in this country and that fundamental Faith in adhering to God's Will is an obstacle to freedom, I would like to make firm this point. While your argument may or may not be correct and have merit (at this time, I am not making any argument for or against that view), one thing is for sure, that view is inconsistent with the view of previous generations' definition of America, in particular from two of the greatest Presidents this country has ever had.

I encourage you all to read, not just my notes and excerpts, but the entire writings in their context (see links) and let me know if you believe that I am misunderstanding or misquoting the author's true intentions.

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George Washington in 1789 proclaimed the First Thanksgiving. In his view, it was "the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor". He shamelessly assigns this day for Americans to be in "service of that great and glorious Being who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country..."

He precisely establishes that Faith is not a divider of this country, but a uniting factor:
"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly"

He continues to state such ideas that might be considered exclusionary and arrogant by believing that God should "guide all sovereigns and nations". Also, Washington has the audacity to believe in Universal Objectivity as he asks God "to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue" obviously with the belief that there is such a thing.

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In 1863, Abraham Lincoln established that Thanksgiving is to be a National Holiday.

He challenges those who do not acknowledge God by stating that "we are prone to forget the source from which [our bounties] come ..., which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. "

Lincoln acknowledges that no matter the greatness of the founding fathers, the benefits to this country are from another source:
"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. "

In this excerpt and the following one, he explains his belief of the connection between not only God and this country, but also our submission to Him through our behavior and the blessings this country enjoys:
"It has seemed to me fit and proper that [we] should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States ... [to] a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience... and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union."

God bless you all and I hope you have great Thanksgiving weekends!