MLK Day

Monday is Martin Luther King Day. CNN did a special on him this morning. This Last Word clip is a portion of that report. He was a great man in many ways. What courage! He didn't sit in a mansion or a fancy hotel room and direct demonstrations, he was right there, marching in the front. He continues to be an inspiration to many. Despite his strong insistence on non-violence, even he couldn't prevent individuals in his movement from committing violent acts -- CNN commented on the fact that some youth broke storefront windows in Memphis even though King had called for passive resistance. Those kinds of independent actions undercut the power of a movement (in case anyone is unclear, I'm thinking of the current situation in Kenya).

Before King's I have a dream.... speech, he counseled with his advisors until the early morning hours. Then, CNN reported that he told them he was going to his room to counsel with the Lord. When he gave the speech, it was not what the human advisors had agreed on. I trust King's final authority.

One of the best lines in the speech is this (IMHO):

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.

That's worth remembering as each of us makes a decision about who to vote for in the primaries, caucuses, and the November election. Character is not the only consideration for a President -- he or she does need to understand the Constitution, be able to make decisions, know how to enlist advisors, have leadership qualities, etc. -- but character is the foundation for all of that.

I'm not sure if this will be a repeat of what I saw this morning, but looks like it will be good. (From the Student News section of CNN.com):

Set your VCR to record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: MLK Papers -- Words That Changed a Nation when it airs commercial-free on Monday, January 21, 2008, from 4:00 -- 5:00 a.m. ET on CNN. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program.)

Well, let me toss in a running-related comment. Isn't running strange? Today was my 3rd day in a row -- 6th day out of 7. I should have been more tired today. In addition, I was planning to run longer than any other day. Yet, though I ran almost 9 miles at a faster pace than any other day (7:58 mpm), overall, it was the best and easiest run of the week. Miles 3 and 4 were pretty tough but the others weren't. Go figure!?! I hope your run was good today.

Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond