Words Frozen In Time

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. There comes a time when silence is betrayal. Proof of these words is beyond doubt."--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

And then he was murdered, one year after his April, 4, 1967 delivery of the speech "A Time To Break Silence: Declaration of Independence from the Vietnam War." It's not easy to stand alone. Everything about yourself is magnified. And to the untrained eye, something just isn't right. It's a lonely place. This is a more difficult road to travel--one many are afraid to walk. And can you blame them? It's easier to be comfortable. And disappearing into the crowd becomes a way out. With comfort lies complacency.

Complacency is the mortal enemy of all that is progressive.

King was far from comfortable. He was a tortured soul. He was restless. He was an observer, forced to see the deficiencies of the world, and himself. Rocks were being overturned. Eyes were being opened. Voices were heard. And for this, King became Public Enemy No.1. He was called names. Communist. Plots were constructed. William C. Sullivan, Head of U.S. Intelligence, believed he posed a threat to the country. In a memo to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover, he wrote: "When the true facts concerning (King's) activities are presented, such should be enough...the Negroes will be left without a national leader of sufficiently compelling personality to steer them in the proper direction."

And all this for deciding to stand firmly alone. Could you stand alone? What scares you most? Darkness or light? Your answer tells you exactly what you would have done in King's position.

His words relate to yesterday. However, they are no stranger to today and tomorrow. His words are timeless. But don't take my word for it. Listen for yourself---and do.

---EOB