The conclusion of the post series devoted to Martin Luther King, Jr’s work and its reflections in the Periclean program focuses on justice. Justice is moral righteousness, most often associated with the laying down of the law. Justice is mandated in societies from a variety of sources, including religion and morals that come from divine inspiration. It concerns how people should be given what they earn or deserve, how punishment should be delivered for those who commit injustices, and how victims can best be healed.
There are many theories of distributive and retributive justice, meaning that how we achieve it is open to debate. Since we are focusing on the dream of Dr. King, how did he envision that we achieve justice? We can get a glimpse at this through his Letter from a Birmingham Jail dated April 16, 1963, which goes into further detail about how he sees the formation of injustice and how to determine whether or not a law is unjust.
First: “...I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”
This quote leads me to believe that King wished distributive justice to be distributed across communities nationwide. The distributive justice King advocates is not a good, but rather love and respect. It is of a sort that is timeless. He saw groups of people being systematically denied this respect. His call is aimed at individuals, to treat one another with a spirit of brotherhood - as if different races were our own flesh and blood.
The Periclean Scholars extend distributive justice across international borders. Some may say that we are taking goods and resources that could be used in America, such as dollars for shopping malls, clothing for children, or building tools for domestic groups, and acting in the fashion of Robin Hood. To those who say that, I would say that the allocation of these resources for our partners acknowledges the ties that connect us all. They should be used to attain the best collective results. In this sense, supporting Periclean partners gives a synergistic effect, in that 1 plus 1 is greater than 2. The giving of ourselves for the justice of our partners allows us to receive just as much, if not more, than what is given. Dumping our dollars on goods and services for those closest to us (geographically or in kin) cannot give this same effect.
Second: “How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority.”
King’s words tell us that justice is more than just the laying of the state’s laws. It is sticking to moral integrity as the mainstay of our mandate for justice. From the retributive side, it is our responsibility to change the law if we find it is in discord with moral righteousness. However, we should be careful here not to tie the law of the land to the law of any one nation’s primary religion. Consider for a moment sharia law and its impact on Islamic nations. Citizens do not treat each other as they would have unto themselves, because their view of integrity does not always mesh with natural law.
Pericleans operate independently of one nation’s laws. They must consider a variety of perspectives, cultural requirements, and expectations before putting plans into action. While they must obey custom, the law that governs Pericleans and their actions is the compass of eternal and natural law. This sense of justice allows us to treat “others” as equals and partners as players on the same level. Being fair and just in this sense is the antithesis to ruling without law, as in, without a set of national laws there would be no law. Eternal and moral law, combined with the integrity of doing the right thing when certain people are not watching, provide a foundation for Periclean actions.
Third, at the conclusion of the letter: “I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or as a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”
King could end this letter any way he chose, but the lasting impression he wished to leave was one of his vision for our society as transformed into a just one. King did not dream of jailing those who had betrayed him. He did not dream of forty acres and a mule. He dreamed of a type of restorative justice. He acknowledged that it would be nearly impossible (and both impractical and backwards) to impose retributive justice on those whose ancestors committed acts of racism and hatred. For one, people might see my white skin and think that my family owned slaves, but in fact I am a descendant of immigrants who arrived after the Civil War and relatives who supported civil rights. We only need look to Zimbabwe for an atrocious example of retributive justice, of the sort that King’s words show that he sought to avoid. To restore King’s soul, he wanted brotherly love. He wanted all people to be treated equally and fairly.
Pericleans use our talents and gifts to affect the destinies of our partners in positive ways. We do our best to overcome years of inequality between nations and communities as agents that distribute justice. No, we do not create laws, but rather we heal and work with those to move beyond the wrongs that have been committed against them by various forces. We select communities that are willing partners, that have specific needs based on a past history. We only choose partners that are willing to show us love and equality, to see us as brothers and sisters on this same earth. We work with those who are open to restorative justice. We retain partnerships in the spirit of King’s dream.
Showing posts with label MLK Jr series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLK Jr series. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Opportunity - MLK Jr. Tribute Series
Today’s post continues the series inspired by the recent opening of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Memorial in DC. Dr. King was a model citizen and human being, whose values guide and inspire Pericleans today. As the second in this series, this post will address opportunity as an area of needed growth among Americans, as it relates to race relations.
Opportunity is the chance for us to achieve our full potential. It is not being shut off prematurely by any sort of force. Granted, not all opportunities will be realized, but the potential for them to develop is there in a free and just society. This opening is what Dr. King championed.
Opportunity in the racial context would see us all rise above race as a qualifier to unlimited potential. In some cases, such as through scholarships, opportunity can be granted through belonging to a certain racial group, but these chances primarily come along as a result of lack of opportunity in the normal arena. True opportunity in the context of race would be to have race play a minimal or wholly insignificant role in the development of potential.
My desire to see race removed as a barrier to opportunity stems partly from my Periclean experience in Zambia. For my entire life, I was in the majority and never needed to consider my own race as an impediment. Then, I became a “muzungu”, or white person, as known in Zambia. I was singled out as the subject of attention because of my race. People in Zambia assumed certain things about me as a result of the color of my skin. From the looks I got, I assumed I was not from their country, a true “Zambian”. From the way I was approached, they assumed I had money to spend. I was given special (and not equal) treatment just by being of a different race, just by being muzungu.
I was not harmed or disrespected by being a muzungu in a nation of Zambians, but I did get a sense of being the “other”. I was not free to interact with people or travel without the stares and being approached. Zambia is one of the safest nations in the African continent, and I am thankful that I was able to get this experience there without fear of harm. However, the invisible barrier shows to me that we still have strides to make toward achieving King’s vision.
The experience of being in the minority is something I consider to be an opportunity. It frees me from the shackles of apathy and oblivion. It allows me the chance and the potential to spread the message of fellow global citizens’ lack of opportunity. If I had lived a sheltered life, then the opportunity for me to do this would have been cut off prematurely.
So long as the Periclean program exists as a vibrant force guided by a robust mission, America’s potential for opportunity sought by Dr. King will continue to grow - and will lead to mirrored growth in partner nations.
Opportunity is the chance for us to achieve our full potential. It is not being shut off prematurely by any sort of force. Granted, not all opportunities will be realized, but the potential for them to develop is there in a free and just society. This opening is what Dr. King championed.
Opportunity in the racial context would see us all rise above race as a qualifier to unlimited potential. In some cases, such as through scholarships, opportunity can be granted through belonging to a certain racial group, but these chances primarily come along as a result of lack of opportunity in the normal arena. True opportunity in the context of race would be to have race play a minimal or wholly insignificant role in the development of potential.
My desire to see race removed as a barrier to opportunity stems partly from my Periclean experience in Zambia. For my entire life, I was in the majority and never needed to consider my own race as an impediment. Then, I became a “muzungu”, or white person, as known in Zambia. I was singled out as the subject of attention because of my race. People in Zambia assumed certain things about me as a result of the color of my skin. From the looks I got, I assumed I was not from their country, a true “Zambian”. From the way I was approached, they assumed I had money to spend. I was given special (and not equal) treatment just by being of a different race, just by being muzungu.
I was not harmed or disrespected by being a muzungu in a nation of Zambians, but I did get a sense of being the “other”. I was not free to interact with people or travel without the stares and being approached. Zambia is one of the safest nations in the African continent, and I am thankful that I was able to get this experience there without fear of harm. However, the invisible barrier shows to me that we still have strides to make toward achieving King’s vision.
The experience of being in the minority is something I consider to be an opportunity. It frees me from the shackles of apathy and oblivion. It allows me the chance and the potential to spread the message of fellow global citizens’ lack of opportunity. If I had lived a sheltered life, then the opportunity for me to do this would have been cut off prematurely.
So long as the Periclean program exists as a vibrant force guided by a robust mission, America’s potential for opportunity sought by Dr. King will continue to grow - and will lead to mirrored growth in partner nations.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Freedom - MLK Jr. Tribute Series
The new post series starting today is inspired by the recent opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC, along the Tidal Basin and the National Mall. Part of the Memorial’s Vision Statement reads, “Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us— a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy.”
Dr. King’s orations challenged our society to achieve peace and equality through nonviolent means. He is an inspiration across generations and continents, and his accomplishments were the subject of some of our lunch and dinner discussions while in Zambia.
The Memorial’s Vision Statement also mentions how the movement calls upon America to realize its potential in the arenas of freedom, opportunity, and justice. This series will address how the Periclean program captures each of these and works to broaden this vision across the globe.
Freedom is a central tenet in successful democratic societies. Citizens are not trapped by unjust constraints and able to exercise all human capabilities and liberties in a truly free society. Dr. King’s vision sought to bring freedom to all peoples, in particular African Americans who had struggled under the Jim Crow laws and bigotry by other races.
To obtain true freedom, a shackled society must see all of its members make great sacrifices. This seems counter to what individuals would want, but I feel that it is the selfish attitudes of all that make freedom so difficult to obtain.
One of the most difficult forces to overcome is that of racial pride. All humans belong to a different racial group based on luck of the draw through birth. Through societal constructs, these races (or blends of races) have tied us down through the force of pride. Identifying oneself in a group to the exclusion of others is an excellent way to weaken our ties as global citizens.
When people have too much racial pride, they elevate themselves above other groups to the detriment of society. When white people in Germany elevated the Aryan race above others, they sparked the Holocaust. When neighborhoods are formed based on race, enclaves lash out at those not perceived to be their “own” and race riots ensue. When bachelors and bachelorettes only elect to date people of one race, they place a wedge between themselves and suitors who may very well have more compatible life values than others in their own race. While those who are proud of their race might feel great about belonging to a certain group, they should be warned that there is no such thing as a separate peace; with each group that clamors with pride, others cringe in shame.
Over the course of history, the opposite of racial pride has indeed shown its ugly head. In the United States, we had the Jim Crow laws. In South Africa, there was apartheid. All across the world, candidates are passed over for job opportunities because they were not born into a certain group, and they feel shame for the inability to overcome something so disconnected to their talents. Racial pride depends on the misfortune or diminishment of another, a force that has polarized societies today - a force that King worked so tirelessly to overcome.
How has the Periclean program helped to make me free? The Periclean program has shown me the possibility of racial contentment. While in Zambia in January 2009, one of my peers described a moment where he explained to a young boy that the incoming President of the United States, Barack Obama, had the same color of skin that he did. This young boy had never seen a picture of Obama and did not understand why everyone was so excited about his inauguration. Upon realizing that Obama was like him, and that someone that looked just like him could be President of the United States, he wore a huge grin. He was not ashamed. Yet, though I could not read his mind, I do not think that he was proud. He was simply glad that the way he was was good enough.
As we watched the Obama inauguration on January 20, 2009, beginning at 5 p.m. local time in Zambia, we knew that race was no longer an excluding factor in seeking the highest office of the most powerful nation in the world. Being black could no longer be seen as a source of shame. Race became a point of contentment: the (racist) pride of whites in holding the highest office for so long, and the (racist) shame of blacks in believing that no matter how hard they worked, they would never achieve it, vanished. Race just is, like eye color or finger length or the type of belly button you have. Americans swelled up with this realization, and Africans (with the fresh memories of apartheid) beamed at the leveling of this playing field.
Race is not a cause for celebration. Race is not an excuse. Race is something that is decided before you are born, and it should not be judged above the content of a person’s character. This is the message that Martin Luther King, Jr., would want us to believe, and it is the message that the Pericleans bring to their partners and all they touch.
Dr. King’s orations challenged our society to achieve peace and equality through nonviolent means. He is an inspiration across generations and continents, and his accomplishments were the subject of some of our lunch and dinner discussions while in Zambia.
The Memorial’s Vision Statement also mentions how the movement calls upon America to realize its potential in the arenas of freedom, opportunity, and justice. This series will address how the Periclean program captures each of these and works to broaden this vision across the globe.
Freedom is a central tenet in successful democratic societies. Citizens are not trapped by unjust constraints and able to exercise all human capabilities and liberties in a truly free society. Dr. King’s vision sought to bring freedom to all peoples, in particular African Americans who had struggled under the Jim Crow laws and bigotry by other races.
To obtain true freedom, a shackled society must see all of its members make great sacrifices. This seems counter to what individuals would want, but I feel that it is the selfish attitudes of all that make freedom so difficult to obtain.
One of the most difficult forces to overcome is that of racial pride. All humans belong to a different racial group based on luck of the draw through birth. Through societal constructs, these races (or blends of races) have tied us down through the force of pride. Identifying oneself in a group to the exclusion of others is an excellent way to weaken our ties as global citizens.
When people have too much racial pride, they elevate themselves above other groups to the detriment of society. When white people in Germany elevated the Aryan race above others, they sparked the Holocaust. When neighborhoods are formed based on race, enclaves lash out at those not perceived to be their “own” and race riots ensue. When bachelors and bachelorettes only elect to date people of one race, they place a wedge between themselves and suitors who may very well have more compatible life values than others in their own race. While those who are proud of their race might feel great about belonging to a certain group, they should be warned that there is no such thing as a separate peace; with each group that clamors with pride, others cringe in shame.
Over the course of history, the opposite of racial pride has indeed shown its ugly head. In the United States, we had the Jim Crow laws. In South Africa, there was apartheid. All across the world, candidates are passed over for job opportunities because they were not born into a certain group, and they feel shame for the inability to overcome something so disconnected to their talents. Racial pride depends on the misfortune or diminishment of another, a force that has polarized societies today - a force that King worked so tirelessly to overcome.
How has the Periclean program helped to make me free? The Periclean program has shown me the possibility of racial contentment. While in Zambia in January 2009, one of my peers described a moment where he explained to a young boy that the incoming President of the United States, Barack Obama, had the same color of skin that he did. This young boy had never seen a picture of Obama and did not understand why everyone was so excited about his inauguration. Upon realizing that Obama was like him, and that someone that looked just like him could be President of the United States, he wore a huge grin. He was not ashamed. Yet, though I could not read his mind, I do not think that he was proud. He was simply glad that the way he was was good enough.
As we watched the Obama inauguration on January 20, 2009, beginning at 5 p.m. local time in Zambia, we knew that race was no longer an excluding factor in seeking the highest office of the most powerful nation in the world. Being black could no longer be seen as a source of shame. Race became a point of contentment: the (racist) pride of whites in holding the highest office for so long, and the (racist) shame of blacks in believing that no matter how hard they worked, they would never achieve it, vanished. Race just is, like eye color or finger length or the type of belly button you have. Americans swelled up with this realization, and Africans (with the fresh memories of apartheid) beamed at the leveling of this playing field.
Race is not a cause for celebration. Race is not an excuse. Race is something that is decided before you are born, and it should not be judged above the content of a person’s character. This is the message that Martin Luther King, Jr., would want us to believe, and it is the message that the Pericleans bring to their partners and all they touch.
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