Today is the federal holiday commemorating the birthday of late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Permit me to address the jeremiads that will fan the flames of inculcated immiseration, perpetuated self-limitation and a general sense of intellectual malaise, associated with the holiday.
While the words from Dr. King’s historical “I Have a Dream” speech will echo from the halls of every failing public school and every municipal celebration will feature the requisite Jolsonesque props of minstrels, news-talk programming will be replete with guests tripping over their lips trying to outdo one another in response to the question: “Has America achieved Dr. King’s dream, and if not, why not?”
With agonizing credulity, each program host will solicit a meaningful response from the branch of low hanging fruit. That’s what happens when program hosts have less intelligence than the stools they are seated upon and their guests are wholly given over to self-perpetuated social-culturalism that awards failure and the rejection of modernity.
But, there is another dynamic that fails to receive the blame it deserves. That viral evil, which has resulted in the self-endorsed avoidance of propriety and generational social devolvement, simply stated is: displaced aggression, or in professional circles called redirected aggression.
This behavioral failing occurs when a person is fearful or agitated by external stimuli, a provocation or perception, but is unable or unwilling to direct their aggression toward the stimulus. The aggressor directs his aggression toward whoever or whatever is closest. The result is these people live out the oft-overlooked portion of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, the part in which he said: “In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”
Ignorance, hatred, anger and denial are constants among those who value being a crayon color more than they do modernity and being an American. This pattern of failure is encouraged by those who have elevated themselves to the highest strata of global affirmation and individual acclaim; consider, for example: Oprah, LeBron James, the Obamas, so-called media talents and program hosts, actors and entertainers, athletes, ad nauseum. For all of their hard-earned success, their message as mentors and encouragers isn’t one of work hard, stay committed, stay out of trouble, and you enhance your chances of succeeding, even if it’s in a career path one never expected.
But, instead everything is about hatred and visceral contempt. The Obama woman and Oprah “Otis” Winfrey are prime examples of this.
The message the melanin pimps espouse is one that foments anger and resentment. The blame for failure is redirected away from those responsible, and that specifically includes the failed persons blaming their lack of personal responsibility on racism, police, schools, poverty and so on.
Bad decisions, bad behavior and following the wrong examples are individual failings that are seldom if ever discussed and/or blamed for failure to advance or succeed.
The message I’m discussing isn’t one you’ll hear on this recognition of Dr. King’s birthday. As my dear friend, the late Dr. Walter Williams, said: “Avoiding long-term poverty is not rocket science. First, graduate from high school. Second, get married before you have children, and stay married. Third, work at any kind of job, even one that starts out paying the minimum wage. And, finally, avoid engaging in criminal behavior. If you graduate from high school today with a B or C average, in most places in our country there’s a low-cost or financially assisted post-high-school education program available to increase your skills.”
Dr. Williams, like every other responsible person, points out the basic formula to living well. The myth used by the haters is that so-called white people live on ill-gotten gains and refuse to share; and white people owe “us.” He also took an ax to the other great lie we hear on this day, having to do with a racist educational system:
“Rotten education is a severe handicap to upward mobility … [but] to suggest racial discrimination plays any part in the educational calamity is near madness and diverts attention away from possible solutions.”
Dr. King called for the embracing of modernity, not a codified tactical retreat resulting in failure. He called for propriety and self-control. Both are near non-existent pursuits by those living in the urban quagmires today.
If we’re going to recognize Dr. King, we need to start doing it honestly and truthfully. Using this day to blame others for bad judgment and even worse personal decisions is a celebration of fools not success-minded individuals.
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