Dr. Martin Luther King Day Message 2003

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Day, a day to honor a great soul who taught us that non-violence as a principle can transform human relations.  Dr. King had a dream of peaceful co-existence of all people.  He realized that violence breeds violence, so he eschewed violence.  Despite threats to his personal safety and that of his friends, family and co-workers, he persevered over many years.  Eventually he paid with his life for his dream, but his dream lives on and grows and sets an example for all of us.

The lesson of Dr. King’s life inspires us to realize that we are all one people on this small planet.  That we should not allow our fear or uncertainty to drive us into mindless violence towards others, and that true greatness is not measured by the number of soldiers you command nor the power of your weapons of destruction, but by the pursuit of your noblest dreams in the face of personal risk.

It would be good if we in the USA could honor Dr. King’s example by working toward true human unity through the principles of non-violence.   As we propel ourselves into a world war in which our fears drive us to lash out to “pre-empt” everyone who “threatens” our safety, and in which we believe that we have the right to suck all the resources of the planet for our personal use, while leaving the rest of humanity deprived, suffering and harmed from our pollution and refuse, we should reflect on the long line of great souls who teach us that we can overcome our fears, we can overcome our weaknesses, we can overcome the status quo and we can achieve our higher dreams.  Let us honor Dr. Martin Luther King on his “day” and let us put his principles to work every day.

Santosh Krinsky

Twin Lakes, Wisconsin

January 20, 2003