too many eloquent words have been written about, and by, rev. dr. martin luther king, jr. to even try to write any to compare. i will only say that when i truly think about the scope of work that he took on, the causes he pondered and confronted, the people he loved- and sometimes inspired, sometimes angered, i simply feel overwhelmed at the thought of it all. who was this man? he was human, so where is this in each of us? do we all demonstrate these same characteristics and qualities, only in ways unique to ourselves? no one will ever be able to quite identify what it was about that time and that man that brought so much to culmination, because, as always it is a mixture of everything....sort of like nature v. nurture...the exact proportions can never really be determined. something magical about that, i think. but really, it seems to me that our reverance and our honor to dr. king should not center on trying to recreate the man he was. certainly, certainly, there is much to learn from his life, and we would be wise to make use of many of his tactics, but we must also make it our own, fitting this time, and fitting our lives, and our personal experiences.
"an individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of humanity"...how truthful and all-encompassing those words are. truly. in our society, it almost seems that the idea that our humanity is truly wrapped up in the humanity of others goes against human nature....but, look at our world today-is anyone really at a place of balance and peace? certainly not those without a home, a job, or health care. certainly not those who are trapped in the sick cycle of materialism and the obsession with money in the corporate world.certainly not those somewhere in the middle, always trying to guarantee they will stay afloat, they will be able to afford college for their children, and maybe someday they will make it big and achieve the american dream. "all men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. i can never be what i ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until i am what i ought to be," wrote dr. king. the fact that these words were spoken, and not only by dr. martin luther king, jr...now, that is hopeful. it is something that is hard to fully understand at all times, even for those who believe it, i think. really, what that seems to mean, is "take care of each other," in quite simple terms. be taken care of, and take care of. i wonder if after one experiences the fulfillment in these actions, that truth can be denied? is it that so many, in all different walks of life, have never experienced this? i don't know. the thing to do now seems to be to continue taking care of each other, and allowing others to take care of us, too.
tonight i was proud of myself. i went to a book discussion on wendell potter's new book "Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans"....by myself. i know, not really all that amazing, but as much as i had been hoping i could attend, i was dubious at the last minute and i realized it was simply because i didn't want to go by myself. how silly- really, it's amazing how strong that instinct to recoil when you stand alone is. once again, i was reminded of my admiration for dr. king in that moment. and with that thought- i told myself i must go. what a thoughtful, provoking, at times frightening, discussion it was. too much to go into now, but the man who wrote the book had a story that, like dr. king's, made me stop and pause a moment.
he worked for CIGNA for 21 years as the head of communications. towards the end of his time there, he had been assigned to a group committed to discrediting michael moore's documentary "sicko." he had already had doubts about how he was making his living, this only increased it. then, taking a break visiting his parents in TN, he heard about a huge health care fair of some sort just a short distance from their house on some fair grounds. people from all across the country come to this fair, once a year, to receive free health care. he heard that the place is just packed, and people have to arrive early in order to be able to make it into the grounds. he decided to go, arrived at 8 am, found the parking lot full of cars, but quiet. he later learned that in order to ensure that they would get in, people had parked and camped overnight. walking into the fairgrounds, he saw the massive crowd of people, lines that stretched farther than he could see, people standing in the pouring rain...and he was simply overwhelmed at the thought that these people were there, in part, due to his work. he said it looked like a scene he would see on TV in a war zone, or a third world country, maybe- a bunch of MASH units set up all over the grounds. he could not believe he was still in the US. talking to these people- they were not unemployed deadbeats, simply trying to live off of charity. no, these were people with jobs, some even had health care "plans" (if you can even call them that, with ridiculously high monthly fees and deductables, while offering very little in the way of care). these people, some of whom he had probably even grown up with- why did they deserve this? they simply were not "lucky" like him to land a high paying job, with coverage for things like health care. he vowed to himself there that he would get out of his job, somehow. and that he did, a couple weeks later, unable to shake that image in his mind. he is now a senior analyst at the the center for public integrity, the senior fellow on health care for the center for media and democracy, and also serves as a consumer liason representative for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
when people ask why we don't have more corporate workers like him, he speaks to the trap that corporate america places its workers in. there is a mindset that one attains in the corporate environment- you are part of the team, and therefore must support the team, you need to fit this role and have the right car and the right house, and put your kids in the best schools, even if that means going into debt for these things....and then you must stay, in order to keep up this lifestyle and to pay off your debt...to explain a piece of it. certainly makes one think twice about those we are quick to despise in that position.
well, wendell potter, and dr. martin luther king, jr....i admire you. thank you for your words, and your actions. they are remembered.
photo credit: artsonearth.com
