King’s Goals Didn’t Change With Polls

The poster with Martin Luther King Jr.’s picture on it lists statistics from his public life. Arrested seven times. Home bombed twice. Jailed, beaten, stabbed - several times.

The statistics prompted nostalgia for national leaders who have a vision and then use their energy fighting for that vision. They don’t worry about public opinion. About media pundits giving them thumbs up or thumbs down. About money and prestige following their message. They have a dream and they work toward its realization, no matter how much trouble it means.

Most national leaders these days get in trouble for lesser things. For taking bribes. For harassing women. For lying. For having their campaign contributions stolen by their husband.

But on this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, we have faith that budding leaders somewhere will try King’s path. Will risk the arrests and bombings and beatings. King would have felt the same, perhaps, because he was the man who said: “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Rebecca Nappi/For the editorial board