Monday, January 21, 2013

Martin Luther King, Jr., a Humanist

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and we should all take the opportunity to reflect on our lives.

One thing I've noticed is that civil rights leaders, when they truly act with all of humanity in their hearts, act in harmony with the environment.


  • Non-violence
  • Compassion
  • A visceral need to make things better
  • A dream of harmony


A true humanist takes lives by all of these tenets.  A person that truly believes in equality will fight to try to level the playing field for everyone as a whole.

Martin Luther King, Jr. did all of this.  

He wasn't trying to make a name for himself.  It happened simply because he fought for what he believed in, and he did it with words, rather than weapons.

You could argue that words are weapons, but in his case, I'd disagree.  His words were more like mirrors.  He made people see themselves, whether they wanted to or not.

To the best of my knowledge, MLK Jr. never specifically spoke about the environment, but he didn't have to.  He didn't need to say that being environmentally responsible was important, because if we are acting in a manner in which every human is as important as ourselves, it would become natural for us to live in harmony with nature.

Depleting resources and creating pollution, after all, hurts everyone.  

It especially hurts the people that work up close and personal with those resources, damaging their bodies, as well as their hearts.  These people tend to be the poor, the neglected, those that are discriminated against.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn't just a civil rights leader.  He was a humanist.

He believed in everyone, and we should all try to do the same.

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