Editorial: Seeing ourselves through Dr. King’s eyes

Had he not been murdered on the balcony of a Memphis motel, Martin Luther King Jr. would look out on the communities of America through 83-year-old eyes today.

He’d see a government that just ended a long war in Iraq, while violence there flares up and American soldiers continue to wage war in Afghanistan. He’d see a nation divisible on many fronts, with justice and liberty for all still a promise sorely wanting.

He’d see prejudice and class warfare. Greater numbers of people hungry and out of work than we’ve witnessed perhaps since he still walked and worked among us.

Yet he’d also see activism. He’d see Tea Party members making their presence powerful in the Republican Party. He’d see Occupiers attempting to recast his sit-ins, sometimes succumbing to violence or being its victims.

In our schools, he’d see students often embracing their differences. Other times, he’d see far too many of them bullying, tearing each other down, even hurting and killing those who are gay or otherwise in the minority, somehow different.

He’d see too many of us forgetting his fine example. Forgetting to judge by the content of our character rather than by the color of our skin, or by our sexual orientation or by our political affiliation, or by our material possessions.

Today is the day we take a moment. Today, we learn or relearn the minister’s lessons. Today, we take a step toward creating the community we wish Dr. King to see. We renew our commitment to greater ideals. We dream again. We recognize that his dream is being woven again with threads of hope and love.

At Robert Frost Elementary School in Mount Prospect last week, first-graders learning about Dr. King dreamed “that everyone will be nice to each other.” “That there will be no more poor people.” “That all people will have enough food.” “That the earth will be nice and clean.” “That everyone will share.”

Achieving those first-grade dreams will take courage and action from all of us, young and old.

At North Central College in Naperville today, the Rev. Dr. Tracy Smith Malone will speak. Malone is a superintendent with the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church. She also is an NCC alumna who helped begin tributes to Dr. King at the school 22 years ago. Today, Malone plans to reflect on Dr. King’s 1954 sermon, “Transformed Noncomformist.”

“O how many people today are caught in the shackles of the crowd ... But my friends, it is the nonconformists that have made history ... not those who are afraid to say no when everyone else is saying yes..

“Who this afternoon will go away with the determination not to be a slave to the crowd and not to bow to the desires of the mob?”

Who, today, will dare to dream?