Sunday Musings - September 3, 2023
Time to dream.
August 28, 2023, was the 60th anniversary of the famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. Many lines from that speech are often quoted. One of those lines was “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Sadly, 60 years later, that dream is not manifest reality. The artificial construct of race or skin color continue to be used to deal with the fear and grief of many. We humans often, it seems, need someone or something to blame for our distress. It is human nature to attempt to problem solve. Thus, if we are feeling sad, angry, discounted, or isolated we look for a cause. Frequently we look for a cause outside of ourselves. In our minds we may make a connection between our distress and the perceived actions or very essence of another person, a group or a situation thus feeding the lie.
King’s dream of using non-violence to target the root cause of fear, insecurity and injustice was designed to stop this cycle of blame and hatred. I was at the 1963 speech. Sadly, I missed the 60the anniversary celebration in DC. I followed the gathering and was again reminded that change always begins with a vision; that change requires we look down from the mountain top and see new possibilities.
In response to or in remembrance of that 1963 speech many have been asking young people and others to risk articulating their dreams.
Many dream for a day when:
- There is an end to violence: mass shootings, suicides, police killings as a way to respond to violence including sexual violence and violence by groups or countries.
- We teach history as accurately as possible with the goal of learning not to repeat the action which resulted in destructive and hateful behavior.
- There is an affirming relationship with the earth.
- Laws are based on science and not prejudice or fear.
- Women have control over their bodies.
- All of us own and deal with our fear rather than trying to oppress and control others.
- Resources such as food, climate control, shelter, and health care are shared based on need and not power or prejudice.
- We are all respected for who we are and not based on our claimed gender, sexual orientation, skin pigmentation or other perceived difference.
- We teach children to embrace their sexuality without shame or oppressing others.
- It is safe to own the perfect, imperfectness of our humanness.
- Single use plastic is history.
- All embrace public transportation.
- Relationships and not tasks are primary.
- We no longer worship phones and other devices as gods.
- Gender identification is not used as a justification for abuse and privilege.
- The foundations of economic systems are creative ways of taking care of each other.
- Child rearing is acknowledged as a community responsibility.
- We train and celebrate community leaders instead of worshiping professional politicians.
- School is designed to teach skills needed to take care of us and each other and not to one up or oppress one another.
- We do not quit dreaming once we enter Kindergarten, and we are teaching the skills to make those dreams reality.
When we quit dreaming of creating more just, equitable, cooperative, loving, fun connections with each other we become despondent, lonely, mistrustful, and angry. When we cannot find a loving purpose for living the suicide rate goes up, escape using addictive drugs rises, empathy goes down, and hurtful actions including mass shootings or other life stealing destructive behavior become normalized. When we quit dreaming, we defend the “right” to buy and use assault type weapons, incarcerate the mentally ill, and find other ways of creating and us and then society. Us and them leads to the loss of any semblance of a democratic republic.
As we approach the celebration of Labor Day, let us reclaim our dreams including the dream of labor which contributes to creating a safe community; a community in which the implicit dream of those who wrote the Declaration of Independence become reality for all people; a world in which the dream of Martin Luther King become reality for all who live and seek refuge in this country:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776)
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” (Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” August 28, 1963)
Written September 3, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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