On Monday, January 18, the nation will celebrate the 92nd birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And on Monday, January 11, Nancy Pelosi introduced an Article of Impeachment for President Donald J. Trump.
The juxtaposition of these events is extremely ironic. More importantly, they demonstrate how relevant Dr. King’s message was/is for America. Dr. King had often emphasized the fact that his message was geared toward the human family, and not just one group. The willingness of Pelosi to spearhead Articles of Impeachment against President Trump speaks to a change in America influenced by Dr. King.
In Dr. King’s home state of Georgia, the first Black Senator-elect in that state’s history, Reverend Raphael Warnock, emerged victorious. Warnock won a hard-fought battle, facilitated by Stacey Abrams and others.
Abrams was a former gubernatorial candidate who had the election stolen from her, partially through voter suppression. Instead of retreating, Abrams, along with others, got to work and actually “flipped” the state, which changes the balance of power in the Senate.
One of the most unfortunate occurrences during this time is the alleged attempt at a coup to overcome the results of a legitimate election.
President-elect Joe Biden was due to have the Electoral College votes tallied, certifying him as winner of the November 3 election, but Trump and his followers planned to derail the process, which they did in a spectacular manner.
On January 6, Trump addressed his followers outside the Capitol, it is alleged, to give them the go ahead to storm the Capitol, thus interrupting the Electoral College proceedings.
When the smoke cleared, five people had lost their lives, the Capitol was breeched, with offices trashed. The legislators in the building were forced into hiding for their safety. All of this happened, allegedly sanctioned by Donald Trump. Lawmakers re-convened later in the evening, determined to finish the certification process, which concluded in the early morning hours of Thursday, January 7.
It was well noted by pundits that the “rioters,” or “insurrectionists” were treated with kid gloves. This was in stark contrast to how the Black Lives Matter demonstrators were treated during the summer of 2020, even though they did not commit any of the violent acts that the Trumpians displayed.
What has emerged as apparent truth is that America is very, very divided into two groups of people, and it is not necessarily along racial lines. On the one hand, you have those usually aligned with the Republican Party who have swallowed Donald Trump’s allegations that the election was stolen from him. Interestingly, he started saying this even before the election took place, yet supposedly intelligent citizens bought into the propaganda!
The other group of Americans have decided to use logic and common sense. They are not split along racial lines, but are acting along lines of reason. They have chosen not to riot, and have allied themselves with African Americans and others to create a diverse coalition of people who are opting to do what is “right.”
It is in this manifestation of America that Dr. King’s legacy can best be felt.
There was a time when the country would not have been split half and half, but it is apparent that a lot of growth has occurred since Dr. King made his transition. Even though America has made great progress, it still has a long way to go.
There is a large number of folks poised to interrupt the Biden Inauguration scheduled to take place on January 20, 2021. Trump has said that he will not attend the event, but his followers are poised to attempt to disrupt the proceedings once again.
One of the good signs of growth is that at least 40,000 tips have been received regarding the identity of those participating in the Capitol insurrection.
This is good news, because it means that a growing number of people are fed up with the actions of fellow citizens behaving in an un-American manner.
We still have a long way to go, however, as evidenced by the extreme inhumanity demonstrated toward one another, especially by the “backward” group of Americans that has refused to grow up.
In the meantime, we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, which has positively impacted racial, and by extension, human dynamics in America and elsewhere. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. KING! A Luta Continua.
