“Let freedom ring…”
Martin Luther King
In his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King gave voice to a fundamental belief we learned as children. Freedom is fundamental to everything our society holds dear. He challenged us to see that value applied across the land: “from the hills of New Hampshire… to Stone Mountain in Georgia… Lookout Mountain in Tennessee… from every hill and molehill in Mississippi…, from every mountainside let freedom ring.”
King inspired us to end segregation.
I have been reflecting on American values as I read the news. I know of two intense situations where the presence of Muslims, their rights to worship and association have been challenged. Then I read some would like to change the constitution which grants automatic citizenship to anyone born in America. As a combat veteran this scares me. I wonder why I risked my life, if not for these freedoms.
I accept the full range of politics. We do not all agree on how to implement our values or even the pace at which diversity should come to our neighborhood. Then I think of Dr King’s 1963 "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". Many clergy believed he was moving too fast, expecting southerners to end segregation before it was possible. He responded that Negroes had waited more than 340 years. If not now when?
Today, I see working men and women of all races and faiths struggling to pay a mortgage, feed their families, send children to college and hold a place within the middle class. Unions are being attacked as greedy by elected officials, while corporate elites pocket bonuses. I know my history; how white workers and black were played against one another to keep wages low. The best union leaders stood up to that tactic, named the racism inherent and built alliances that have lasted.
How shall we respond to our new Americans? Can we avoid replacing “No Irish need apply” signs with “No Muslims in my neighborhood”? The Ku Klux Klan did not just target African Americans; they fought the presence of Catholics and Jews. Religious freedom is as important to our heritage as economic justice.
Our nation has diversified since Pearl Harbor; the Greatest Generation defeated Nazis, liberated concentration camps and helped us face where fear and hatred lead. We lost thousands when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked. We continue to lose others who risked their lives for people of all faiths. We lose neighbors everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some are wounded and die in the military; others while providing humanitarian assistance. The threats are real. These losses are respected and our complex emotions can not be overlooked.
The world was shocked by 9/11. We still live in fear. External dangers are real but they do not come from religion anymore than Catholics and Jews earlier threatened America. We have expanded our society to include those once feared. Our Supreme Court is a great example; three women, and a black man, all Catholics or Jews. Our nation is stronger than our fears. In time we will also incorporate Muslims, South Asians and immigrants from around the world. Let’s not resist this natural process or violate our integrity because hate-mongers killed our friends and neighbors.
There are no simple answers to the wars we are fighting, the economic crisis and our relationships with immigrant neighbors. Still I learned one lesson as a Vietnam Veteran; it is never too early for leaders to sow the seeds of hope, to patiently, conscientiously and respectfully help those in pain move beyond fear and hatred toward reconciliation.
Martin Luther King was such a leader. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu were others. These men taught that victory comes from a disciplined approach to addressing injustice. In the movie “Invictus” we see one example of Mandela’s leadership toward reconciliation through symbolic action; supporting the Afrikaners’ rugby team. Tutu led their Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where revenge was forsaken in favor of truth and healing. Dr King engaged our better nature through nonviolent direct action and set the stage for the inter-racial progress that followed.
If I could sow one seed of hope it is that our communities will show more respect for the Islamic community than the terrorists showed of us. Throughout history, members of all faiths have misread their scripture and committed atrocities. The underlying spirit and freedoms of America are our best defense. Let us not tear apart our constitution in times of fear. We put Japanese into camps during World War 2, only to apologize later. I hope we will make room for peaceful Muslims in our neighborhoods.
Organized labor has proudly stood for social justice in the past. Once again we are asked to stand for the deeper values of our society; ones Dr. King so eloquently described. This country stands for freedom of worship wherever we gather. I trust America and am grateful for our Bill of Rights which states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
