S00n (meaning after Hurricane Irene passes over -they seem to think this is a big one. Of course, they alway say that, exciting news cycle and all, but occasionally they’re right. ), the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial will be dedicated in Washington, D.C. It will stand on the mall, near
"Out of a mountain of despair, A stone of hope." (from the 'I Have a Dream" speech, August 28th, 1963
the Jefferson Memorial, where no dancing is allowed.
Some people are not so happy. Oh, I’m not talking about teabaggers objecting to a Martin Luther King monument. No, I’ve been hearing from Martin Luther King fans who don’t like it because it doesn’t look like him. Too stern. Arms folded. The preacher who preached and practiced non-violence, who showed nothing but love to his fellow man, is standing with his arms folded and a stern look on his face, like a particularly nasty high school principal.
They’ve got a point, of course. I’d have preferred a less grim version myself. But it’s not worth getting upset over. Here’s why:
1) No insult is intended, none should be received. So, the artist didn’t carve the smiley King we would have liked, with arms outstretched welcoming us to the promised land he promised. It does look like him, at least.
2) Done is done. It’s not like they’re going to send the statue back and tell the artist to change it, it’s not like they’re going to just change it out for something different. So, it’s the 2nd part of that old AA chestnut, “…accept what you can’t change.” The whole problem with that phrase is in the difficulty of knowing the difference between things you can’t accept and should therefore change, and things you can’t change but should therefore accept, but in this case I definitely feel the latter applies.
3) King’s true memorial is not visual, but audio. The “I have a dream” speech has probably been heard by more people than any speech ever. (Gettysburg address doesn’t count. There’s nobody alive who actually heard it, and there was no recording equipment within 50 years.)
4) Beyond that, King’s legacy is actually in his ideas, which we should carry with us and try to live by.
Don’t worry about the statue. Honor his life with your life.
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