On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an Inauguration in the name of love
“One man come in the name of love, one man come and go. One man come he to justify, one man to overthrow.” Many people don’t even realize U2’s iconic 1984 single Pride (In The Name Of Love) was written about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Shot rings out in the Memphis sky. Free at last, they took your life; they could not take your pride…”
Regardless of personal politics, spend a moment today reflecting on just how far our nation has come since that cool April evening in 1968 when a single .30-06 round ripped a dreamer’s necktie off his shirt, broke his jaw and several vertebrae, severed his jugular vein and extinguished his life. Reflect also on the fact a white man was the first to comfort the fallen civil rights leader — with all he had available, a cheap motel towel — as he lay dying on a blood-stained concrete balcony in Memphis.
King was 39 when he was assassinated, born the same year as my father. If you happen to find yourself staring down that same age as well, take a moment also to reflect on what you’ve been able to accomplish in your short life — and what Dr. King accomplished in the same time frame.
“What more in the name of love?” Each of us has to write our own answer to that question. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a lot of writing left to do.
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Category: Reality Bytes
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I'm a Mid-South photojournalist, Kentucky writer and digital media consultant (or eNinja™). Circle me on Google Plus at Plus.BillySuratt.com, follow me on Twitter at @surattb and Instagram me at @BillySuratt. Got a news tip or suggestion about some journalism that needs committed? Email blog@billysuratt.com (discretion is always guaranteed).Subscribe
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