241: Living the Dream? Time to Wake Up.
Just shy of two years later Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave another speech, although this speech was a sermon; presented on July 4th, 1965. I read, "The American Dream" by Dr. King, Jr for an American Studies class today and considered his words carefully as so many are looking at the "I have a Dream" speech.
So here I will share with you his words from "The American Dream." (Encyclopedia of Race and Racism)
"I stood with many of you who stood there in person and all of you who were there in spirit before the Lincoln Monument in Washington. As I came to the end of my speech there, I tried to tell the nation about a dream I had. I must confess to you this morning that since that sweltering August afternoon in 1963, my dream has often turned into a nightmare; I’ve seen it shattered. . . . I’ve seen my dream shattered as I’ve walked the streets of Chicago and seen Negroes, young men and women, with a sense of utter hopelessness because they can’t find any jobs. And they see life as a long and desolate corridor with no exit signs. And not only Negroes at this point. I’ve seen my dream shattered because I’ve been through Appalachia, and I’ve seen my white brothers along with Negroes living in poverty. And I’m concerned about white poverty as much as I’m concerned about Negro poverty.
So yes, the dream has been shattered, and I have had my nightmarish experiences, but I tell you this morning once more that I haven’t lost the faith. l still have a dream that one day all of God’s children will have food and clothing and material well-being for their bodies, culture and education for their minds, and freedom for their spirits.
I still have a dream this morning: one day all of God’s black children will be respected like his white children.
I still have a dream this morning that one day the lion and the lamb will lie down together, and every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.
I still have a dream this morning that one day all men everywhere will recognize that out of one blood God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth.
I still have a dream this morning that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
‘‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.’’ (317)
He may of had a dream but they have yet to be made manifest. The dream seems to have turned into a nightmare as we see more and more poverty, more and more war, more and more violence, more and more separation and inequality. The problem is we do not live these words, these principles that we can see clearly are undeniable and best for all.
"All men are created Equal" simply seen by us being all flesh and bone; required to eat and drink and sleep, be housed and educated. Yet we have created a world where you are not honored within this equality as life. One is born into this world with the inalienable rights denied. We see them, we speak them, yet they are not giving to all equally.
We have created a monetary system that ensures without it's security and safety, you are not gifted with your right to life. Because we do not honor our basic human rights, we cannot say his 'dream' is real.
Perhaps we have had small victories in equality here and there - but within the basic foundation as the substantial matters that count most in this world - where ALL are fed, ALL are provided with clean water, ALL are given access to home and electricity, ALL have access to healthy nutrition. ALL are given the ability to provide these things for themselves with work... we have not come far. If anything we have walked backyards into our dreamworld in thinking somehow we have made some success -with equality in marriage or equality of race. Or we somehow our lives work (because we have money) so we don't question anything. Really it's been the equality of our enslavement.... as the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, the dumb and numb become the vast population. We watch reality TV and comment on celebrities shortcomings. We fight for our right to guns. We rape our land and kill other species. We consume and take and fight and fall. We blame, rape and kill each other. We ignore each other. We compete and compare and hide secretly our spite within our Minds.
We Cannot even see this is the Reality of Our World. We Dare to say it's not. We do not stand in the shoes of others. We do not love our neighbors as ourselves. We do not give to each other what we would like to receive. We do not investigate all things, we stay trapped in our individual pursuit of positivity, thinking this will make life better. We think fighting and yelling and standing in crowds will sway those in power to give up their position. We give in to our believed self-limitations that we cannot possible move ourselves into such positions. We do not see we must be the change, forgive ourselves, each other and start over as stopping our current accepted outflow of who we are as a whole. We have separated ourselves from the Living word as Living Principles - we Do not realize what is Best for All is Best for Ourselves. We cannot see how our actions influence this world to be what it is. We do not think we are responsible. We do not realize we must be the change we wish to see in this world. We have not yet realized we must LIVE our change as physical actions.
The solution has always been here and is so simple if we would just dare to open our eyes; to wake from our slumber, lost in our Minds. If we would only realize the ability we have to make manifest a world that is reflected in his words, in the best interest of all, if only we would stop chasing our highs and our own individual pursuit of happiness - if we dared to see our reality for what it is and not how we would like to imagine it. If only we could see the bubble we exist within in our own minds and if only we could pop them ourselves. If only we could realize the reality of who we are is reflected in this physical reality and as ALL.
We have all fell for the illusion that somehow we have made progress, when still there is poverty, war, rap, drug abuse, exploitation of life in ALL it's form... we have gone deeper into our sleeping state and yet to wake up.
The simple solution is seen within the problem. Money is our God. Money holds the value. Without Money in our pockets, there is no life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. Without basic human rights given to all as an UNDENIABLE right as our equality made real. We would live in a much different world. 50 years ago Dr. King, Jr saw the problem and within it, the solution:
"And I said to myself that these people who constitute the ground crew are just as significant as the pilot, because this plane couldn’t move if you didn’t have the ground crew.
I submit to you that in Hugh Spaulding or Grady Hospital, the woman or the man who goes in there to sweep the floor is just as significant as the doctor, because if he doesn’t get that dust off the floor, germs will begin to circulate. And those same germs can do injury and harm to the human being.
I submit to you this morning that there is dignity in all work when we learn to pay people decent wages. Whoever cooks in your house, whoever sweeps the floor in your house is just as significant as anybody who lives in that house... and I want to see them get the kind of wages that they need. And their job is no longer a menial job, for you come to see its worth and its dignity.
Are we really taking this thing seriously? ‘‘All men are created equal.’’ And that means that every man who lives in a slum today is just as significant as John D., Nelson, or any other Rockefeller. Every man who lives in the slum is just as significant as Henry Ford. All men are created equal, and they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, rights that can’t be separated from you" (318)
Give All a Guaranteed Living Wage; give All the ability to LIVE; give all the opportunity of starting in this world within equality to express themselves freely, to create a life of dignity; as you would give to yourself. Only then can we say we have created a World where we can make our dreams come true.
Investigate Basic Income Guaranteed as a foundation for All life to be lifted out of the depth of our self accepted and allowed and created despair. Become a part of the Solution.
Investigate Desteni I Process Lite to wake yourself from your slumber and becoming the Living Change Required in this World - stand within the Responsibility of Who you are as an Equal in this World.
Awesome Kristina
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