Not just a dream anymore...

I must make a confession; when Ronaldus Maximus signed into law a new federal holiday in honor of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I was of the opinion that this action was akin to throwing-the-dog-a-bone politics. Why else would there be the need to create a “black” holiday? Of course, I was a little closed minded in my younger years when I formed that opinion and it was due mostly to being raised with an unfavorable prejudice toward all non-white folk. Growing up in an all white rural community where the only black folk you knew were either farm hands or inner city ghetto dwellers, stereotypes grew larger than the fears which fostered them in the first place. Not surprisingly, as I grew older and wiser, many of those stereotypes were diminished once I realized that we are all God’s children and there are good and bad people of all races.

One day in the mid ‘90s, I had the divine privilege of meeting a conservative black family. Their views on how the government was continuing to foster dependency within the black community knocked me right off my feet. They saw the truth behind what they knew was a scheme by politicians (mostly democrat, but some republicans included) to keep black folk suppressed by nurturing their fear, hatred and opposition to the white majority. Through socialism and political correctness, these politicians would ostensively con a vast number of blacks into believing that no matter how hard they worked and struggled to get ahead, they would always be denied the same opportunities as whites. As it turned out, the politicians most likely to implement such socialist and race based legislation were also the politicians who were, at the same time, denying blacks the access to positions of power and prestige that they themselves were occupying.

Those in leadership positions of the modern day civil rights movement have usurped Dr. King’s cause for racial equality and twisted it to increase their own prestige, advance their progressive political agenda and scoff at those who have broken away from the socialist mentality. Being a black man himself, my new friend called it the “monkey in the cage theory.” *I swear I’m not making this up!* He said that a select few monkeys, popular for their leadership ability to rally the angry emotions of the others in the cage, fostered the idea that all monkeys are, by virtue of their appearance, doomed to a life of hardship and oppression. Without the hope of success outside the group, the monkeys feel content to live out their lives in the cage under the care of their leaders. Since all their needs for survival were found within their confines, why should they even bother trying to escape? Still, driven by determination, some in the group fight to escape and eventually do. Not surprisingly, those who chose to remain in the cage ridicule, mock and heap insults upon the ones who have broken away from their group and have found the true meaning of freedom and liberation.

My friend also noted that by creating an endless array of race based social assistance and racial equality programs, socialist politicians make it possible for themselves to ensure their success at the ballot box despite their continued lack of recognition for the true “dream” of the great Dr. King. He pointed out that through their heated rhetoric, liberals make it quite apparent that if you don’t keep them in power, the black community would have absolutely no hope of achieving racial equality. Every man is ultimately responsible for himself and for his future and in this country, of all the places on God’s green earth, America is by far the greatest land of opportunity. Recalling the words of his own father, he said that success is never given, but earned through hard work and dedication. With that in mind, the only limitation left to overcome is your own fear of failure.