MLK Jr. demanded with dignity

Martin Luther King Jr. wasn’t a “snowflake.” That’s the mythology of martyrdom. He wasn’t a lamb led to the slaughter. He was a firebrand who freely spoke of justice for all people, not just people of color.

Just because he wasn’t Malcolm X, Eldridge Cleaver or Huey Newton doesn’t mean he had a welcome mat on his chest. He knew that Christ had shown there truly is something called righteous anger. MLK Jr. showed it in his writings and speeches. He didn’t come in begging for handouts. He demanded the rights of every person for every person eloquently and with the dignity and class that comes from being a minister trying to educate, rather than bludgeon.

Never fear raising your voice to demand your rights. It’s the American way. We were born a nation of revolutionaries—Washington, Franklin, Madison, etc., were simply the midwives. Yes, I include people like Abigail Adams in the midwives group. Read the letters exchanged between her and John and you’ll understand.

And never forget the Haitians who fought for the colonies during battles like the siege of Savannah, nor the free Africans who served to help us gain the liberty we so cherish.

Teddy A. Noon

Spokane Valley