Martin Luther King Jr.’s son speaks at OSU

By THERESA HOGUE
Gazette-Times reporter

When Martin Luther King III was 10 years old, his father, the world’s best-known civil rights leader, was murdered by a white man. When he was 16, his grandmother was murdered by a black man. Those traumatic events could have turned him against the world.

Standing before a packed house at LaSells Stewart Center on Tuesday evening, he joked, “I could have legitimately embraced hatred and disliked all of you.”

Instead, following the example of his slain father, and the teachings of his devoted mother, Coretta Scott King, King devoted his life to non-violence and civil rights, and to furthering his parents’ cause.

“What I am thankful for is the example and spirit of love that my mom and family taught us,” he said. “Because I learned how to dislike the evil act and still love the individual. I learned how to forgive, not for the person who did the evil act, but I had to learn how to forgive for myself. Because if you hold on and harbor animosity, that itself can kill you.”

King said part of his challenge is to continue the legacy his father began and his mother continued, of non-violence.

“We seem to try and solve most of our conflict in our nation and world through using violence as a means to an end. Martin Luther King Jr. tried to show us how we could use nonviolence as a means to an end.”

King said he believed his father, because of his deep belief in non-violence, would have been against the war in Iraq, especially because the United States struck pre-emptively.

“We were attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, and had we chosen to use another form of leadership, perhaps the world would view us differently, and we would be able to truly provide the kind of moral leadership,” he said. “We lost our moral authority. We had a great opportunity because tragically we were attacked and many lost their lives. The game of war is a no-win proposition for anybody. We’ve lost 2,300 troops thus far and probably 25,000 or more are wounded, not to count the numbers of Iraqis, all because of this very tragic war. No one can really win in war, and this situation seems to be escalating every day.”

Instead, King said, his father pushed for dialogue and understanding.

“If you want ultimate and true respect, you can’t gain it by overpowering an opponent,” he said.

He also addressed the immigration debate, which has brought many people together to discuss the issue, often in large, non-violent rallies.

“I’m glad we’re having the discussion, but I’m disappointed about the way that it’s discussed,” King said, including the racial overtones used in the argument against illegal immigration.

“We must have responsible immigration policy, I’m just not for some of the proposed legislation,” he said. “I don’t know how we address this issue in a way that is more sensitive.”

King is also concerned with the recent news of government spying on private citizens.

“Under the auspices of national security, we’ve lost a lot of our freedoms, and I’m not sure how we’ll regain them. But when you look at the provisions of the Patriot Act, we’re heading on a very dangerous path,” King said. “Our Constitution, which did have certain rights established, is watered down under the auspices of national security. Under fear, which many of us seem to embrace, we’ve allowed the government to pry into our lives and I’m not sure that’s the best route.”

King Jr.’s message, his son said, was globally important, which is why his birthday is now celebrated in 100 countries. The challenge is to answer the call his father made to stand up to injustice.

“These are the words of my father that I most embrace and appreciate, for he used to say, ‘The ultimate measure of a human being is not where one stands in times of comfort and convenience, but where one stands in times of challenge and controversy.’”