People throw the word “change” around a lot now days. It seems every major movement or campaign uses the word to try to convince people they will make a difference in the world. Unfortunately, they seldom do, and after so many hollow promises most people have begun to wise up. In the later years of the 1960s, one man did cause real change. Martin Luther King Jr. was central in the move to create equality in America.
Monday, January 16, was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and at Alliance High it passed by without so much as an announcement. The only mention of the day I heard from anyone was “Oh, it’s MLK Jr. Day?”
Last time I checked we Americans loved holidays. Companies certainly do. They make millions of dollars from gifts and decorations; consumers do to. People love receiving and giving gifts, well, maybe mainly receiving. Valentines Day, Easter, The Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday (might as well be one), Christmas, Hanukkah; these are the holidays that come to the mind of most Americans. The pattern is obvious. Gifts and receiving something are involved with all of these—with the exception of the Fourth—and let’s face it: everyone likes explosions. So is it the lack of gifts that keeps us from celebrating? How about this man’s incredible gift to us?
Have we really become so self-centered and materialistic? Yes. Never mind celebrating the personal freedoms won for us by brave men and women on days like Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and, yes, MLK Jr. Day. Never mind educating our youth about the truly extraordinary lives and sacrifices of those who have gone before us. Never mind continuing the spirit of self-sacrifice for the better good of our fellow man. There are presents, candy, and binge eating sessions to be had.