Thoughts and Reactions
I’ve been off lately. Work has been very frustrating, the weather cold and snowy, and sleep almost non-existent. My family, co-workers, and friends have been very supportive but I’ve ultimately alienated them especially when they’ve been needed them most. As a grown adult I shouldn’t be throwing my insignificant little opinions around, being disturbed or angry with everyone, and definitely shouldn’t pick battles when I shouldn’t or with those who I care about. I need to separate my difficulties, problems, and issues related to work from my personal life. Apologizing to those affected isn’t necessary, I’m probably already forgiven or it’s already forgotten, but maybe doing well by them is all that is necessary to redeem myself.
As a father I must be honest to my children even when asked about Martin Luther King Jr. and why we’re celebrating Monday. Tyler educated us Friday on what he learned in class about Martin Luther King Jr., the significance of his life, and the contributions his life and death brought to America. Tyler held a pretty good grasp on what he was taught yet had Jessica and me laughing when he informed us that “Martin Luther was the king.” We calmly reclaimed our bearings and informed him that King is his last name and not a position of royalty. Following our dethroning of Martin Luther King Jr. we spent more time explaining his life and his “I Have a Dream” speech. We were informed that “He was shot.” Jessica wondered out loud, “They’re really teaching the facts in first grade.”
21,500 troops are being deployed Monday. Is this political significance or coincidence? Paralleling civil rights to the freedom of Iraqis is ambitious especially when the fight of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement was founded on history and racial intolerance and not religious intolerance. Hasn’t history taught us anything? Freedom doesn’t come over night, it takes years to break down those intolerance’s which have been ingrained since birth. We can’t change old minds nor can we sway them. Youth look to the old for their views and opinions. The youth can only be swayed when, during the impressionable years, those views are augmented by tolerance and understanding. Unless we can get to the youth nothing will ever change, and in Iraq, the youth will never trust Americans as we are the killers of brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. We lost when the first bullet was fired, the first bomb dropped, and the first missile fired. 21,500 troops will only be more death to and further hatred of America.