As always there are plenty of gems to unpack in Martin's words; gems of wisdom like, the emancipation of slaves though welcome brought "freedom and famine" for black slaves who were freed without the benefit of being provided an economic base via the opportunity for land ownership, hence be careful not to say to a bootless man that he should pull himself up by his bootstraps unless you've provided him with boots. And leave it to Martin to make the very accurate observation that war abroad (in Vietnam) strengthened the military industrial complex as well as the forces of (militant) reaction within America, but much to the detriment of social perspective. Martin also mentions that there's a necessity for the kind of contemplation (of other points of view and other cultures) that must surely lead to a revolution of values in large sections of white America, etc, etc.
Helen Ikua Most interesting to me was how he foreshadowed the problems we have today. Plus, of course, the sheer gigantic impressiveness of the man himself. He saw things so clearly and honestly...
Kent Crispin True, he was a very prophetically perceptive man and a moral and historic colossus par excellence. And it's important to remember that he also fought as hard for economic rights as well as for civil rights.
As always there are plenty of gems to unpack in Martin's words; gems of wisdom like, the emancipation of slaves though welcome brought "freedom and famine" for black slaves who were freed without the benefit of being provided an economic base via the opportunity for land ownership, hence be careful not to say to a bootless man that he should pull himself up by his bootstraps unless you've provided him with boots. And leave it to Martin to make the very accurate observation that war abroad (in Vietnam) strengthened the military industrial complex as well as the forces of (militant) reaction within America, but much to the detriment of social perspective. Martin also mentions that there's a necessity for the kind of contemplation (of other points of view and other cultures) that must surely lead to a revolution of values in large sections of white America, etc, etc.
ReplyDeleteHelen Ikua Most interesting to me was how he foreshadowed the problems we have today. Plus, of course, the sheer gigantic impressiveness of the man himself. He saw things so clearly and honestly...
ReplyDeleteKent Crispin
ReplyDeleteTrue, he was a very prophetically perceptive man and a moral and historic colossus par excellence. And it's important to remember that he also fought as hard for economic rights as well as for civil rights.