For John, BLUF: Focus on the good. Nothing to see here; just move along.
This is Martin Luther King, Jr, Day. Some, wishing to make money off that fact, have given us a controversy just before the holiday weekend. Mr Oliver Stone has announced he is withdrawing from a film about Dr King.
It is Oliver Stone, so I don't care.
What I do care about is that we not be distracted from the fact that it wasn't until the 1960s that we started cleaning up the remains of the American Civil War. We can thank LBJ for part of that and the Republicans and Northern Democrats in Congress and especially Dr Martin Luther King, Junior. There will be time enough to find the warts. As Saint Paul tells us, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23) For now let us just be thankful there was a Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior, walking our streets and providing a reasoning voice on the issue of race in the 1960s.
Regards — Cliff
Agree with your commentary, however, I also worry that in our zeal to "make things right" on the racial front, we have thrown out the baby in the bathwater. Much of the underlying basis for the Civil War was an issue of state's rights and in that issue, the seeds of Federal superiority and dominion. In almost every way as a result of "making equality available to all" we have simultaneously invested in the Federal Government almost wholesale superiority over the rights of states.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Founders realized that it had to be a delicate balance and therein lay the uniqueness of the American way. Each state had its rights and was largely responsible for its people, but beyond that was a willingness to work with the other states for common needs. That was and remains the base definition of "union" as used then...and much less so today.
It was the seeds of Federalism that demanded that the north retake the south, essentially saying that even though you are states, you can't just do what you want. You must bow to a higher power....the central government.
LBJ will go down in history for his actions to begin some healing of the racial division that continues to loom quite prominently in our society......but more importantly.....he will be acknowledged at the final nail in the Federal imprisonment of states rights.
For every benefit comes a price.