Did They Die in Vain?

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Forty-three years ago today, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN. His legacy of fighting for equality and civil rights lives on to this day. He dreamed of a better day for his people and for all people. Some would argue that this has happened, in that we cannot legally be discriminated against based on color, nationality, and gender. Some go as far as to say the fact that President Obama is in office the the culmination of Dr. King's dream. I am not one of those with rose-colored glasses. I know that the dream has not been fully realized, as racial profiling, economic inequality and the "glass ceiling" that minorities face in business is still very real.

But we must take a look inward to see what we have done to either further his dream or hinder it. Have we as a people lost focus of what's truly important? Does equality and the chance to achieve the "American dream" hold as much weight as the latest dance or what our favorite reality TV stars are doing? Do we as a people still have the sense of unity and community that we once had? When we remember the legacy of men like Dr. King, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, Rosa Parks and countless others--known and unknown--it is not enough to say "thank you." We must show that we are thankful for their sacrifices by living up to our potential, continuing the fight for equality and refocusing on the things that matter most. Every day that we don't, we are saying that they died in vain.

Rally for the Scott Sisters

On this past Wednesday, hundreds of people marched onto Mississippi's state capital demanding the pardon and release of Gladys and Jamie Scott. They have served 16 years for a robbery netting $11. A robbery for which they maintain their innocence.

 

I was at work when they marched by my office building downtown. I didn't know the details of the march before hand, but quickly grabbed my phone and caught up with the crowd. It was inspiring--electrifying, even--to see that so many people were gathered together in a call for justice. Young and old, black and white, HBCU students, Greeks, professionals, politicians, folks from across all classes and economic statuses... All united for a good cause. Anyone who says Civil Rights is dead simply has not seen it in action. The spirit of peaceful protest and demand for justice and equality did not die in the 70s.

 

 

 

 

 

There were many speakers, making many points about how this is an injustice and it's impact not just here, but country- and world-wide. Someone noted that we go around fighting wars to bring democracy, but we have such injustice here. Someone made mention of judges not only following the letter of the law, but the spirit of it, and how this case does not follow the spirit of the law. A priest compared Jesus' unfair trial and execution. A city councilman expressed that Governor Barber would get a chance to show that MS is not the ass-backwards place so many believe it is (which would behoove him considering he is expected to run for the Republican candidate for president or vice-president in 2012).

Unfortunately I was not able to stay for the entire rally.... I am still looking for an account from someone who participated from start to finish.

It will be interesting to see what comes about from this rally. As of today, there has been no response from the Governor.

The Right to Love

Maybe this is "not in my lane" since I'm neither a resident of Malawi nor seeking a relationship with a woman, but I'm still gonna post about it.*smirk*

Last week in Malawi, two men were sentenced to "the maximum 14 years in prison with hard labor." Their crime? Being in love with each other. According to MSNBC:

Chimbalanga, a 20-year-old hotel janitor, and his unemployed partner were arrested Dec. 27, the day after they celebrated their engagement with a party at the hotel where Chimbalanga worked — an apparent first in Malawi.

"Maximum sentences are intended for use for worst cases," Magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa Usiwa said as he delivered his sentence. "We are sitting here to represent the Malawi society which I do not believe is ready at this point in time to see its sons getting married to other sons or conducting engagement ceremonies."

(Source)

Thank goodness we don't go to those extremes here (although antiquated laws relating to homosexuality are still on the books in several states). I don't know how anyone could read stories like this and not see how fugged up it is. But I know people who do. Typically conservative, staunch Christians can really be assholes when it comes to homosexuals. Okay, you don't agree with their lifestyle. you don't understand it. You may even think that they are going to hell for who they love. You are entitled to your opinion just as they are entitled to do as they please. But to openly say that they don't deserve the same rights as their straight counterparts simply because they don't live like you think they should? Sorry, can't go there with you, and I doubt Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, etc. will either.

The reasoning I've heard some people give for being discriminatory towards gay people is utterly ridiculous. They say that if we allow gay marriage it's a "slippery slope" to people marrying animals and adults marrying kids. Aroo?! Since when could kids or animals give consent? How does one equal the other?
I also remember hearing a preacher saying that if they are given the right to marry, fight in the army, etc. that they'll "soon be in the schools, right there over our kids." NEWSFLASH: (you may wanna sit down) There have always been gay and lesbian teachers, preachers, doctors, lawyers, and whatever else. This isn't some new craze that's going around. Homosexuality goes back to the earliest days of mankind. To think that they have to be stopped now is absurd.

And if all of their rights were taken away, what change would be made? What "good" would that do? Would that cause them all to say "Oh well I guess I won't be gay anymore!" or something? Will discrimination force them to be straight? Umm, no. A person won't and shouldn't have to change who they are just because someone else doesn't agree. Whether it's a lifestyle that they chose or just how they were born (I refuse to get into the "nature or nurture: homosexuality edition" debate) they deserve to live their lives with the same right to love and happiness as everyone else.

We can't play God, no one has a heaven or hell to put anyone into. If you don't agree with what they do and how they live, condemning and discriminating against them won't make the situation better for anyone. Simply pray for them, and while you're at it, pray for yourself. God knows we all have our own ish to get straight.

From the People: Has the Civil Rights agenda been completed?

I've decided to try something a little different. Since I am trying to get back into the habit of writing consistently but face writers block quite often, I've requested input from my tweeple as far as what topics to write about.

Tonight's topic is from my lovely Soror @BlueDeucex2 who writes:

@KittyPurrfecta Do you think that the civil rights agenda has been completed now that we have a black man as president? If not, what's next? 

Loaded first topic (and I'm really no politico), but I'm always up for a challenge!

First, we have to determine just what exactly the Civil Rights agenda was. While I am not aware of an official list of goals for the Civil Rights Movement, I do know that it was a fight for desegregation and equality in all aspects of life. While we do have these things mandated by law today as well as a black man as POTUS, I do not believe the civil rights agenda has truly been completed.

Let's look at some of the facts. Blacks make up about half of the population of all of the US prisons, while only comprising 13% of the total population. Of those in jail, the majority are in jail on drug charges, even though studies have shown that whites are more likely to do drugs than blacks. On top of that, police have even admitted to targeting black and minority areas, especially when enforcing drug laws.
http://ronmull.tripod.com/racism.html

As far as education, black are graduating from high school at a sad rate of only 50%. Out of those that go on to college, even less--only approximately 43%--graduate. And while we all know that a college education does not guarantee success financially or career-wise, a lack of a degree could be a setback in many areas and possibly a barrier to advancement.
http://www.parapundit.com/archives/001959.html
http://www.jbhe.com/preview/winter07preview.html

Add to these the facts that:
* segregation and discrimination are still happening, even where there is no written policy to do so
* blacks and minorities still economic disadvantages in disproportionate numbers to whites
* blacks are still less likely to receive a fair trial or fair treatment by the criminal justice system

We see that there is still much work that needs to be done by way of the civil rights agenda. Yes, the nomination and election of the nation's first black president is a MAJOR step forward. However, this in no way means "we have arrived."

So what's next? Well, if it were up to me, I'd make the next step a two-fold move.
First, we need to turn inward and help ourselves. Let folks know what their rights are and how to recognize when those rights are being violated. Stress the importance of education versus the criminal lifestyle. Assist black entrepreneurs with starting, growing and effectively running a business. Support black businesses. Encourage those in our communities to vote not only in presidential elections, but those that affect us most: mayor, governor, senators, etc.
Secondly, we need to actively defend against any show of discrimination or act of prejudice. There should be devoted watch dog groups to ensure that the court system treats black defendants in the same manner as white defendants and to help victims of discrimination seek justice. (Of course, one could say that's what the NAACP is for, but that's another argument for another night; I just don't have it in me right now...)

Now, let the discussion begin!!

So what do YOU want me to talk about? Let me know! Just hit me up on Twitter (www.twitter.com/KittyPurrfecta) or email me (go to my profile and hit the link).