“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” These are just a handful of the scores of influential words spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet, I wonder, with another Martin Luther King, Jr. Day passing us by, if the great reverend were alive today, what would he think about our world?
Undoubtedly, Dr. King would observe immense transformation for the better in our constantly evolving world today. In the United States, African Americans have successfully escaped the horrors of segregation, and have made names for themselves as some of the top intellectuals in the country. If someone were to tell Dr. King during his abbreviated time on Earth that, just over 40 years later, the President of the United States of America would be of African American descent, he would have been elated.
Minorities in general have received respectable treatment from the United States in the past few decades. Some universities are now required to have a certain percentage of minorities in their programs. Employers, as well, are moving toward the goal of making their companies more diverse. However, in spite of all of this progress, the world and America still have a long way to go in eliminating injustice, one of King’s ultimate goals.
Although there have been several significant changes for the better, minorities and women are still suffering in their own way to this day. On average, women, and some minority groups (such as African Americans), make less money than Caucasian males. Racism and sexism are two tribulations that have not been completely eliminated, either.
Consistently, stereotypes are placed on women, such as the idea they should be housewives instead of workers, and have a mental capacity inferior to men (although science clearly disputes this assertion). When it comes to minorities, people of all races mock one another in areas from the way they speak, to what they eat. Derogatory terms are used heavily not only in popular media, but also in everyday speech.
The group getting the worst end of the stick in America at the moment is the LGBT community. Although Dr. King was indeed a religious man, I would make the argument that he would find the injustice the LGBT community is going through in America sickening. It is a shame that in a nation with a Bill of Rights, such as the United States, which clearly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” has essentially done the opposite.
It is no secret that Christianity encroaches on the lives of American citizens every day, in particular upon the LGBT community. Conservative Christians, especially those who are involved in politics, are committing injustice every time they pass legislation or support candidates that disallow homosexuals to be married, an injustice that Dr. King would not likely support.
In spite of all of the inequality still going on in America today, Martin Luther King, Jr. would be proud of the progress we have made as a nation in such a short amount of time. America is taking a step in the right direction, every single day. Yet, King’s main point would be to speak up when injustice is taking place. He would be ecstatic to see all of the highly-attended protests that are happening today, whether it is the Occupy Wall Street movement or a gay rights protest, because he believed in standing up for what is right.
Dr. King once said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” This is a piece of advice that intolerant Americans must accept, or else true equality for groups such as homosexuals, women, and minorities, may never take place.
If we ever want Dr. King’s ultimate dream to actually become a reality, we must first learn to coexist and speak out when injustice is taking place.