"I am aware that there are many who wince at a distinction between property and persons - who hold both sacrosanct. My views are not so rigid. A life is sacred. Property is intended to serve life and no matter how much we surround it with rights and respect, it has no personal being. It is part of the earth that man walks on. It is not man." - Martin Luther King Jr., 'The Trumpet of Conscience', 1967
There are a great number of things that are taken for granted, and many of the things in this world have lost potential because of that. One of the many things that are taken for granted is human potential. Humans are capable of great feats and are not even aware of the unimaginable possibilities. Although, these possibilities are attainable, we are distracted by the great amount of intelligence and technology that surrounds us, clouding our idea of self.
A human can see a candle from thirty miles away in complete darkness, but with any other variables the possibility is lost. That is the same case with many human capabilities; with the option of doing something easier, faster, simpler that amazing feat is lost to the wind. With the distractions of technology and the endless amount of connectivity to the outside world, there is no time for or possibility of complete seclusion.
How can we possibly understand ourselves thoroughly if we are constantly berated by the media and thoughts of others? They surround us like hungry vultures ready for the kill. In a sense we are brainwashed by the unintentional harm of commercials and infinite information that is spoon-fed to us every single day.
The thoughts and information that we receive isn't completely destructive. You can receive information that is helpful to you. But I believe that we should all understand ourselves and our relation to others as well. Our idea of self should be set in stone in our minds. We should know who we are as a whole and what we believe in before taking in the ideas of the media. Everything involves the media and in order to avoid the influences of others, we all need to have a complete and utter idea of self.
The idea of self makes you strong in what you believe and makes you resistant to the wrong thoughts of others. In a day and age where you can see what everyone else thinks at every second in time this is important to have. Martin Luther King Jr. had such a strong sense of self, that he was able to inspire a nation to rise up at what was wrong. He was willing to die for what was right. He was willing to die for his children and his fellow human beings. He wasn't just a father to his children; he was a father to the African American community and their fight for equality.
We should all strive to match the great amount of human potential that Martin Luther King Jr. took advantage of. So many of us live our lives without a cause and he committed his whole life to a single solely important cause. He is a historical figure because he discovered his self and ultimately made other people take a look at themselves and decide to make a change; a change in America and a change in social norms.
Technology is such a dominating part of our lives. We should take a stand and do things the hard way, whether it be taking the stairs instead of the elevator or trying something new and living life on the edge. We should all take a long hard look at ourselves and say, "What have I done so far and who am I?" If you can answer those questions thoroughly, then you have taken one step closer to being the legend, the hero, the mere father that MLK was.
Kindell.
