By James W. Breedlove
Dr. King, we need you now more than ever. We need a Drum Major for peace, for justice, and for righteousness. I know you can sense my desperate plea because you are sitting on either the right or left side of the Creator at the confluence of all things past, present and future. You sit there because you committed your life to serving humanity and spreading HIS message of unconditional love.
I am sure your heart grieves to see that almost five decades after you paid the ultimate price for humanity that we are still perverting the Basic Drum Major principles you taught. We as individuals and as a nation have not listened to your admonishments but instead are preoccu- pied with self-aggrandizement. And as you predicted the perversion of these principles has adversely distorted both our individual and national personalities.
We witness unjust actions being rationalized as necessary, anti-social behavior accepted as the norm, and immoral acts defined as corporate or political expedients.
Dr. King, will you petition the Lord of Lords to consider giving you a short leave of absence so you can reincarnate among those of us in dire need of a true Drum Major? Since you depar- ted many have tried to wear the Drum Major mantle but the dif- ficult test of, “He who would be the greatest among you shall be your servant” has been too great a challenge.
Most of the new Drum Major pretenders have so coveted holding grandiose titles, donning royal regalia, exercising the mantles of power, and associating with the rich and powerful that they neglect to serve anyone’s interests but their own.
These perverted Drum Majors get great satisfaction from flaunting their snobbishness, elitism, and perceived superiority while ensconced behind psychological walls that divide us into conflicting racial, sexual, religious, political, and economic classes.
Dr. King we need you to come back because your dream extended far beyond civil rights and racial equality. You had a vision of a world where all people are seen as human beings with equal access to education, employment, health care and justice, regardless of race, religion or class. We need a refresher lesson in how to combine divine love with brotherhood for all.
You dared to challenge the dictatorial military-industrial complex, the exploitive economics of world banking, the self-serving privileged class, and the unjust war (Vietnam) of your time. You championed the universal use of Drum Major Principles and died because of it.
Today we are confronting many of the same issues you challenged. Our nation is waging unjust war against its own citizens. Yet those that would be Drum Majors have tepid tongues that vacillate with the truth to conform to the mood of prevailing polls.
Dr. King, we are mired in the slime of the misguided world you warned us about 50 years ago. You said that God has a way of breaking the backbone of decadent powerful nations. And the nations of the world seem to be carrying the 20th century values of greed, selfishness, hypocrisy, and materialism into the 21st century. We talk peace but deliver conflict because selling fear and arms delivers huge profits.
Our political, corporate and religious leaders pontificate endlessly about the need for addressing homelessness, affordable medical care, senseless killings, living wages, the justice system, election reform, the education system, and economic equity.
They skillfully use high moral values as central themes in their lofty pronouncements but rarely do we see those values validated in the selfish decisions they make that continuously exploit those they should be serving.
Dr. King, we need you to show these Drum Major pretenders how to be true Drum Major contenders who will make your dream a reality.
Comments or opinions may be sent to the writer at: thebreed@swbell.net
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