Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Blogging

This MLK Jr./Obama weekend was so good. People everywhere just feeling the beauty and freedom of the ideas that Martin espoused. Reading Martin Luther King, Jr., A Profile, edited by C. Eric Lincoln. Reading from the text of MLK's own speeches and writings from A Testament of Hope. Hearing San Diego's own Martin Luther King Choir. The assurance and grace that Obama is showing as our new president. Surely this has been a great coming-together of hope, peace and love for like-minded individuals across this fair land and indeed the world. We would not have another Republican president to follow the sadistic presidency of George W. Bush. But far greater than just that is the faith that we can place in Obama to turn to the monumental task of rebuilding our world and restoring the prestige and admiration of the peoples of the world to the United States of America. There is no better man qualified for the job. The democratic party has a new leader. God has indeed blessed the U.S.A.

The damage done by the Bush presidency has exceeded in reality the most dire predictions held deeply inside the minds of Bush's most ardent critics. Most of us predicted instability, insurrection and violence in Iraq, but few could have predicted the unprecedented level and persistence of violence. Most of us predicted an interruption in infrastructure and services, but no one could have predicted the dismal performances of U.S. military and contractors in providing these services. I guess the contractors were mostly concerned with covering their own asses. We all knew that American service personnel in Iraq would die, but we didn't guess the number would exceed 4,321. We could never have seen that the U.S. military would send so many innocent Iraqis to their death, or imprison and torture their finest young men. These are nightmare scenarios that can only come from the reality of the undiluted evil that was the flagship of the Bush presidency. And who among us can judge the number of dead, wounded and displaced that is acceptable as a trade-off for the gains that we have seen in Iraq. Personally, I don't see them. But we never had the right to tell the Iraqi people that this was the price which they must pay for freedom.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s thoughts on the Viet Nam war are as relevant today as they were 42 years ago. I highly recommend watching the video "Martin Luther King Jr., a Man of Peace in a Time of War." When others wrestled with their consciences about their support for the Viet Nam war, his voice came as loud and clear as thunder.

In our collective lives, our sin rises to even greater heights. See how we treat each other. Races trample over races; nations trample over nations. We go to war and destroy the values and the lives that God has given us. We leave the battlefields of the world painted with blood, and we end up with wars that burden us with national debts higher than mountains of gold, filling our nations with orphans and widows, sending thousands of men home psychologically deranged and physically handicapped... This is the tragic plight of man... So long as he lives on the lower level he will be frustrated, disillusioned and bewildered... Western civilization, like the prodigal son, has strayed away to the far country of segregation and discrimination. You have trampled over sixteen million of your brothers... In the midst of all your material wealth, you are spiritually and morally poverty-stricken, unable to speak to the conscience of this world.

So let us all give a hearty thanks to not only MLK, but to all those who came before him, all those who worked tirelessly with him, all those who put their own lives, safety and security on the line in Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma and Memphis and across this world from Ghana and South Africa to Poland and Germany. We do not live in a perfect world. But I live in a country where citizens of all colors, religions and persuasions have equal access to education, employment, housing and civil liberties. I live in a state peopled by all races of the world, which will one day soon no longer have a majority of European whites. It will still be the great state of California. Nothing can diminish that. And when one of our brothers or sisters gives in to the temptation to embrace racism, prejudice or hatred, it is that citizen who is to be pitied.

Why I am not on board with Obama and the greatest thing to happen in politics today

I am like many people, one who very quickly fell in love with Obama. I saw him give the keynote address at the 2004 convention. By the time I saw Obama girl, it should have been all over. Obama is an exciting, principled and powerful force. His ideas about restoring foreign policy and alliances soothed my ailing soul. But it didn't take me long to fall for Hillary in much the same way. The more that I actually heard her speak and debate, the more I liked her. Of course, we must put aside the differences of this campaign and unite as democrats behind Barack. Unfortunately, that may not be so easy. There is blatant hostility from both the HRC and BHO camps which is unprecedented in the history of our party. I have had to stand idly by while my party was criticized ruthlessly. I could say nothing because every accusation was true. The past several years, seen by most intelligent Americans as a damning record of the many sins of George W. Bush, are really a greater indictment of the collapse of the party that has consistently held dear the dreams of the rank and file American. In my opinion, Obama rises above this system-wide failure. But how do I know? It seems that the donkey has learned from the pig to trust in the joys of the feeding trough above all else. The failure of the 2002 congress to stand up to Bush' threat of war. The no less heinous failure of the democratically controlled congress to oppose any and all subsequent war funding measures. The insider control exhibited by the party elite which stood idly by or else pushed an Obama victory. These are not the earmarks of the party I understood to represent my best hopes. I have many times defended Obama against charges of under-handed attacks levelled at Hillary throughout this campaign. I didn't believe that he condoned or controlled the behavior of those campaigning on his behalf. But once that behavior has been examined publicly many times and yet continues, Obama does not get a pass. I can't ignore the outcry that he has caused in the feminist community. If he can't manage his own campaign, he will have difficulty with a conservative pentagon and CIA. I think he is naive and will get trounced if and when he gets to the White House, just like Jimmy Carter did. Little things count too. His cordiality seems to have a cynical air that he can't turn off. His apologies sound like he is apologizing for anyone simple enough to not understand that his statements were justified. I just don't like him that much anymore. Still I'm hoping against hope that he truly can unite our party and lead us to victory. What choice do I have? I haven't lost sight of what truly is at stake as have many of my friends. But he has wittingly or unwittingly alienated many in his own party.