As one of the best speeches of the 20th century, King's dream was for freedom, equality, jobs, and a release from the bondage of slavery and injustice. He hoped that people would one day judge Negroes / Blacks not by the colour of their skins, but by the content of their character.
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| Martin Luther King Statue in Washington DC. Photo by Peter Stockdale. Oct. 20, 2011 |
Today in the USA there is a long way to go to achieve King's dream. Domestically, universal health care and free education should be available to all. The gap between the rich and the poor needs to be narrowed drastically if there is to be any sense of equality and justice in the country. Internationally, the bullying of outsiders by the American government needs to be recognized and sharply curtailed. For example, the more than 1,000 military bases around the world ought to be closed. And states such as Hawaii need to be returned to their native owners.
But a critique of America is not sufficient. In 2013, we need to extend that dream for a new sense of world possibilities; that we are our brothers and sisters keepers residing in one world.
My No. 1 dream is a world without wars, a world structured on nonviolent basis with love being the central power that unites us all. In this regards, Martin Luther King was inspired in the nonviolence path by earlier stalwarts Mahatma Gandhi and Lev N. Tolstoy.
In the words of King, 'I hold these truths as self-evident'. I have a dream! In the style of his words, I would like to extend King's intent into my dreams, as follows:
- I have a dream that the military industrial complex will become a relic of the past just as slavery has become outlawed in world history.
- I have a dream that soon governments around the world will ban nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
- Yes, I have a dream that a growing number of governments all over will build the architecture for a peaceful nonkilling world with the establishment of Departments of Peace in their parliaments.
If we are to survive and thrive as a worthy human race, we — men and women — must think globally so that one day our children will live in a world where love is the measure of human beings, where military might is a relic of history, and where Martin Luther King's dream has taken on practical human purposes. Let love, freedom and nonviolence rein!
Also see: Martin Luther King's Dream yet to become reality in US, by Mark Mandell, North America editor, BBC News US & Canada, 27 August 2013.
Your dreams are ambitious Koozma and I am with you in spirit especially the part about relegating the industrial military complex to the junk pile of history. But my hopes are dimmed when I see the keepers of that industrial military complex, the political leadership in step with the masters of war promoting and practicing military solutions against the tide of public opinion and wishes of their people. Look at the unilateral actions of past wars conducted by NATO, Obama now (again) threatens to bomb Syria without debate in the UN and in Canada parliamentarians, the people's representatives will not have a chance to debate Canadian response to and involvement in Syria. Once again the citizens are shut out of the democratic process. That's needs to change dramatically in a revolutionary way if any of your dreams are to come true.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this important sentiment of peace when we need it most.
Best,
Peter Biesterfeld
Let us extend the dream. I also read for the first time your reflections on the Human Book Project.
ReplyDeleteBill is currently reading a book aloud to me - Active Hope - it is a good entry point for people who, like Peter who posted on your last blog, feel dismayed and discouraged by the state of the world as it appears to be from mass media.
Also keeping the faith!