M.L.K.,Jr.Day & Adult-Leadership
Tomorrow is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and a write-up in the Miami Herald claims that only 15% of whites and 66% of blacks will be partaking in festivities to celebrate his birth. Of course, I do not want to make this into a "racial" issue, but shame on ALL Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has done so much to shed light on human rights issues, and though this might seem like quite the cliche, his legacy does, in fact, live on until today. In addition, he died such a horrible death, and his holiday is not even a federally-mandated holiday.
This is really discouraging, but this reveals the truth that historic figures who are associated with peace do not get the same attention with those who were involved with war. What does this say about our future since wars are becoming less prevalent in our society? Who will be our new heroes? Oh-that's right- basketball players and hip-hop stars.
Those who are on the forefront of making this world better, not their personal financial portfolios, should, indeed, be placed on a pedestal and should be bastions of what every child would want to be. Gone are the days of the Roman gladiators, who lived lives of blood and violence. Every child during that time wanted to be like them. Today, those gladiators have been replaced by music, sports and other entertainment icons. Though, on the surface this might not seem to be a "big deal", when one digs deeper, she would realize that many of the young people that other young people idealize are not quite the great figures of heroism, and sadly so, considering that -- due to technology -- these icons are so visible.
This is where parents, teachers and community leaders can play a big role. As a matter of fact, adults on a whole can play a big role in showing young people that the everyday person, not necessarily pop icons, can, in fact, be heroes and good examples. The problem, it seems, is that adults have kind of stepped back and allowed the media to raise our children, but that's content for another blog.
Finally, adults need to step forward and quit complaing about "young people today", and be the shining light and beacons of hope that we are supposed to be. Like Dr. King, we should not be afraid. Now is the time to really make a difference. When the kids playing in the street get loud and rowdy and begin fighting or what-have-you, we, as adults, should not just hang our heads and walk or drive by, we should stop and break it up. When we see children misbehave, we should not be afraid to repremand them. On the other hand, when we see children doing good things, we should not hesitate to encourage them. When we see that they need our help, we should not hesitate to offer assistance. It's high time. It's not too late to win the fight for our children, whether or not you biologically gave birth to them is beside the point. YOU, my dear adult, can be a leader, a hero just like Dr. King!
This is really discouraging, but this reveals the truth that historic figures who are associated with peace do not get the same attention with those who were involved with war. What does this say about our future since wars are becoming less prevalent in our society? Who will be our new heroes? Oh-that's right- basketball players and hip-hop stars.
Those who are on the forefront of making this world better, not their personal financial portfolios, should, indeed, be placed on a pedestal and should be bastions of what every child would want to be. Gone are the days of the Roman gladiators, who lived lives of blood and violence. Every child during that time wanted to be like them. Today, those gladiators have been replaced by music, sports and other entertainment icons. Though, on the surface this might not seem to be a "big deal", when one digs deeper, she would realize that many of the young people that other young people idealize are not quite the great figures of heroism, and sadly so, considering that -- due to technology -- these icons are so visible.
This is where parents, teachers and community leaders can play a big role. As a matter of fact, adults on a whole can play a big role in showing young people that the everyday person, not necessarily pop icons, can, in fact, be heroes and good examples. The problem, it seems, is that adults have kind of stepped back and allowed the media to raise our children, but that's content for another blog.
Finally, adults need to step forward and quit complaing about "young people today", and be the shining light and beacons of hope that we are supposed to be. Like Dr. King, we should not be afraid. Now is the time to really make a difference. When the kids playing in the street get loud and rowdy and begin fighting or what-have-you, we, as adults, should not just hang our heads and walk or drive by, we should stop and break it up. When we see children misbehave, we should not be afraid to repremand them. On the other hand, when we see children doing good things, we should not hesitate to encourage them. When we see that they need our help, we should not hesitate to offer assistance. It's high time. It's not too late to win the fight for our children, whether or not you biologically gave birth to them is beside the point. YOU, my dear adult, can be a leader, a hero just like Dr. King!
posted by Rog at 5:54 PM
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