The mother of one of my students sent me an email, part of a sermon she reads on Yom Kippur. As I read it, it struck me that the truth of Robert F. Kennedy’s words is necessary now, as ever, for each of us to carry out our roles on a daily basis.
“Let no one be discouraged by the belief that there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills — against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence… Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation…
It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man (or a woman) stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he (or she) sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
There is hate, anger, despair, frustration, vitriol, anxiety, insecurity and violence surrounding each of us every day. Watching some of the political rallies of the last week, it has become disturbingly commonplace. Whether we choose to incorporate those negative emotions into our mental matrix, to expel them on others because “misery loves company,” is a decision we make. At times, watching the course of this campaign from way back, watching people scream at each other because they refused to embrace their common humanity, it has been discouraging.
But I’m sure that it was at times discouraging for my great great grandmother to be born into slavery and to live through emancipation and into Jim Crow; I’m sure it was at times discouraging for my grandfather to spend the last years of his life battling a disease that ate him slowly enough for him to know and dread it, but quickly enough for him to lament; I’m sure that marching, protesting, writing and speaking to inspire a nation to rise up to its better self was at times discouraging for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and I realize that these trials and tribulations are important, but, in the immortal words, “this too, shall pass.”
And what then is our legacy, as citizens of this country and this world in 2008? What is the legacy that I leave to my seven and nine year olds? How are we carrying on the traditions and ideals handed us in the founding documents? How shall we hand over our country and the world to those who come behind?
I choose to think that we leave it as we live it. That the daily example my children and students see in my actions, words and love for them will propel them to live their lives with love, compassion, honesty, joy, exuberance and empathy. That in my giving to them all that I can, they will in turn give of what they have and who they are to be and become great people. That President Clinton was right when he said that people, “are more impressed with the power of [your] example, than by the example of [your] power.” Dr. King put it another way:
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that’s all I want to say.
If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in vain. If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought, If I can spread the message as the master taught, Then my living will not be in vain.
It is up to us to be those “numberless diverse acts.” It is up to us to “help somebody as [we] pass along.” This is why writing, reading, speaking, sharing, actively participating in civil service is so necessary, right now! And how we do is as important as what we do. Our actions speak louder than our words. Reading these words, and others inspires me to go out and ask friends and family, “are you registered to vote?“; inspires me to keep typing in the hopes that one more word will encourage someone to reach up to their better selves, rather than fall down into selfishness and despair; encourages me to keep on “working for the good.” It’s funny . . . I’ve heard some people say, “all Senator Obama offers is Hope.” My response is, “Isn’t that a great place to start?”
I’ll leave you with a little inspiration from MC Yogi. I think he’s feelin’ what I’m feelin’!
Rage Rising on the McCain Campaign Trail
Cross-posted at Spreading the Word on October 10, 2008
10/12/2008 at 11:08 AM
Eileen-
The ignorance and fierce anger in your response is exactly what I was talking about in the post! Reverend Wright, the ex-Marine, doesn’t hate America. Senator Obama has denounced ACORN. William Ayers was on a board funded by the Annenberg Foundation, and they were both ambassadors under Ronald Reagan. And only one of your last four adjectives is true . . . but your fear of change, embodied in Senator Obama’s candidacy, is loud and clear. Hopefully we can help you, too, “as we move along.”
ReyMac
10/11/2008 at 4:59 PM
It’s funny that the same people who argue that Obama was somehow connected at the hip with the Christian pastor Reverand Wright, also slide over to claim that Obama is a Muslim… hmm.
Their argument stretches credulity to the breaking point and leads me to believe that rational people simply cannot operate on the same level as the irrational.
10/11/2008 at 9:52 AM
Mccain is losing, and people are questining him at rallies, “what happened? How did we get into this position?” – refering to how well the Obama campaign is swamping the Mccain campaign with voter registration and support. This is a sign of a failed Mccain campaign and his simple inability to connect with real American people who are hurting, suffering, and feeling the brunt of inequality for generations, not just an eight year recession. Obama will win by a landslide, especially when you have notable conservatives backing him now.
10/11/2008 at 9:26 AM
Rage should be rising at this ridiculous Democratic candidate. He sat in a American hating church for 20yrs. All the Obama cool aid drinkers didn’t seem to be so concerned with the Rev. Wright issue. We are mad and fed up with the media bias, ACORN, Ayers and Wright. McCain needs to stop going soft on Obama if he wants to win. I am very afraid of what would happen to this country, if god forbid Obama was to become president. Only a conspiricy of this magnitude could get a black, radical, muslim, terrorist elected