How Principled Are You?

"Cowardice asks the question - Is it safe? Expediency asks the question - Is it politic? Vanity asks the question - Is it popular? But Conscience asks the question - Is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right"--- Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

Selma and America’s Ugly Past.

I have resolved to stay away from movies about slavery and the American Jim Crow eras. They only evoke anger in me. It took some persuasions before I finally summoned the courage to see Selma. And I realized that it was positively, “a different kettle of fish”.

In the aftermath of watching the movie though, I came away with the following personal conclusions:

1. America, as great and as wonderful as it is, is a nation that is being horribly hunted by too much evil and bloodshed that were unleashed on innocent people in its past. For instance, there were the four little girls (see their picture below) that were bombed while inside their 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, September 15, 1963. It was described as an  act of white supremacist terrorism. It’s been over 50 years and I wonder about the lunatics with pea-sized brains in Ku Klux Klan who perpetrated the evil. Many of them would have died and probably re-incarnated somewhere else by now. In Metaphysics, there is a discourse on the Law of Karma (as you sow, so you shall reap). Therefore, for those animals in human shapes and their ilk that unleashed so much hatred, evil and bloodshed, it’s easy to figure out the possible fate of their souls. And these are manifested in the many “strange” diseases, negative phenomena, natural calamities and an excessive presence of depressions in a nation so rich-blessed. While people in countries such as Norway, Denmark and others across the world are being celebrated as the happiest, "God’s own country" is well-known as the home of the most miserable people in the world. Happiness can only thrive on the foundation of benevolence, peace and tranquility.

2. One thing has remained constant in spite of the evil and bloodshed that doted the landscapes of the America’s ugly, dark past. Back then, there were some white folks that stuck their necks out on the side of the maligned black people. And they did this at the risk of physical attacks that often led to severe injuries and deaths. They deserve to be celebrated along with Dr. Martin Luther King and the other heroes.

3. Finally, it’s a shame to see how ignorant and nonchalant some blacks behave when it comes to exercising their voting rights. Selma and other horrible places in the American south have shown us that too many black folks died or got maimed just so as to pave the way for the future generations to vote. Therefore, any black person who refuses to vote at every American election is not only being ungrateful and self-defeatist but also declaring himself or herself non-existent and voiceless!

The four girls killed in the bombing (Clockwise from top left, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Denise McNair). May their tender and gentle souls continue to rest in perfect peace.

 

The American Sniper- An Irony.

The American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood, may be a box-office success but the big irony of it is the negative talks going on about it. The movie is about the life of a Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle. The same movie got Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.

However, there are some folks who are describing the movie as a celebration of cowards. To these people, Snipers (whether in military or civilian garbs) are known for hiding in safe places to shoot down unwary, armed or unarmed human targets. Notable among the critics of The American Sniper is Michael Moore who tweeted that his uncle was killed by a sniper in World War II. Hear him on Tweeter: “We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes…”

He went further to tweet that “But if you're on the roof of your home defending it from invaders who've come 7K miles, you are not a sniper, u are brave, u are a neighbor.”

The liberal film maker concluded by reminding everyone that the movie opened on the Martin Luther King holiday, the day that marked the assassination of the civil rights activist by a sniper.

Let's Appreciate our Differences.

"We need to expand our minds to appreciate our differences. To be color-blind, is not a thing I don't think that one should boast about. See color and celebrate it. See our differences and celebrate it. When somebody says to me, 'I'm color-blind. I don't see color,' I'm thinking 'You're missing out on a lot of beautiful colors.' " - Selma director, Ava DuVernay in a special Martin Luther King Jr. Day message.

Martin Luther King in SELMA.

David Oyelowo and movie director, Ava Duvernay spent seven years trying to get the film, SELMA made. When asked why he thought it took so long, he noted that not many films center around a Black protagonist. The actor added that it’s especially difficult for stories with historic dramas of this magnitude.

“Often, those films are told through the eyes of a white character, that is imposed upon the story that impacts who should be the protagonist through the movie. That’s how these films have been done, a la ‘Mississippi Burning.’ I truly believe that “Selma” benefited from “The Butler” and “12 Years a Slave” doing so well, not just critically, not just at the box office domestically, but also overseas. There are all lies we’ve been told for so many years: black doesn’t travel; black people don’t want to see historical dramas; white people don’t want to be made to feel guilty. These are all reasons I feel that the movie wasn’t getting off the ground.” - David Oyelowo, the Nigerian-British actor who stars as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in SELMA.

When it’s Time to Embrace Fortitude.

"It’s not the life that matters but the courage we bring to it.

Blessed be all sorrow, hardships

and endurance that demand courage.

Blessed be these things: for of these things

cometh the making of a man." - Hugh Walpole in "Fortitude".

In line with the law of nature, whoever is destined to be great will definitely go through some trials and tribulations. The Holy Scriptures are replete with stories of how great individuals such as Jesus Christ, Muhammad, King David, King Solomon, Queen Esther and a host of others were subjected to harsh trials and tribulations. In a bid to strengthen them, God employed fate to throw similar tribulations onto the paths of great leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Obafemi Awolowo, Mahatma Gandhi, Kwame Nkruma, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi, Mother Theresa and many others across the world.

All of these people were taken through the same pain and anguish to which a piece of metal is subjected at the hands of a gold-smith. In this process, an ordinary piece of metal is plunged into a fiery furnace. Afterward, it gets struck upon several times with a sledge hammer and then dropped into some cold water. Soon, the hitherto piece of ordinary metal becomes a precious ornament.

As mere mortals, it is only natural that we react negatively initially to trials and tribulations that fate throws at us. But over time, we get to know and appreciate the necessity of those trials. All we need while the trials last are a strong faith, fortitude and hope until the  eventual manifestation of God’s objectives in our lives.

 

 

Taking a Position on Issues.

“There comes a time

when one must take a position

that is neither safe,

nor politic,

nor popular,

but he must take it

because conscience

tells him it is right.”

-       Martin Luther King Jr., (A Testament of Hope).