This article echoes something I wrote about a few years ago: So in the political climate of the time, no one would have been shocked or surprised to learn that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. There is no official record of him being registered as either a Republican or a Democrat, however, and even family members disagree on his party affiliation. Therefore, the King Republican meme is more or less preaching to the converted and stirring the emotions of the doubtful. The jury is still out on whether or not it helps to initiate a dialogue for transformation. Truth be told, were he alive today, I expect he would exhibit the same complexity that leads the black community to be, according to opinion polls, ideologically moderate to conservative in their beliefs but politically liberal in their allegiances and voting patterns. It is a typical human tendency to want to subscribe our most cherished beliefs to men and women of substance or fame. It validates us and gives us comfort, especially in times when our beliefs are scrutinized and criticized. Those of us who follow Christ, however, are held to a higher standard, the standard of truth. Moreover, it shouldnt matter who shares your beliefs with you. For every perceived hero who agrees with you, there are other potentially less noble people who also agree with you, so you cant depend on the virtue or reputation of like-minded people to make your ideas attractive. They must be inherently defensible. A black conservative friend of mine once said to a Tea Party audience, Im not a conservative because of you...I probably wouldnt even like half of you. Im a conservative because the principles work. While my hope is certainly that I would like most of you (grin!), I understand her point. The fact is that she arrived at her beliefs independently of what others believe, and so did I. Its as peculiar a concept that I must identity with others who believe as I do as it is to presume that I must believe like others who look like me. We are sovereign individuals with the ability to form our own ideas and opinions independently of others, and that is a gift from God. A great black 20th century author said it best: Suppose a Negro does something really magnificent, and I glory, not in the benefit to mankind, but in the fact that the doer was a Negro. Must I not also go hang my head in shame when a member of my race does something execrable? The white race did not go into a laboratory and invent incandescent light. That was Edison. If you are under the impression that every white man is an Edison, just look around a bit. ~ Zora Neale Hurston
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 13:29:31 +0000
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