A Day of Reflection

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day. In Canada, to my knowledge this has never been a day that has drawn much attention. Growing up I don't recall it ever being mentioned in school and certainly there was never an assembly to honor it. However, we do have Remembrance Day where we remember our soldiers who have fought in various wars, in particular WWII. In a sense they become our heroes, and our heroes are war heroes. Sadly, most of the American soldiers that fled into Canada seeking asylum because they no longer wanted to participate in what history has shown as an unjust war of aggression in Iraq are now being deported back to the United States where they will face persecution and criminal charges. If we as a society value peace and those that stand for justice then why do we allow this to happen? Should we not value these people and even celebrate their act of consciousness? Should they not be heroes instead of criminals? I suppose this is the way of the oppressors, as King was also once a 'criminal'.
I have to ask, why isn't there more attention paid to 'peace heroes'? Nonviolent heroes like Dr. King that have fought oppression and risked their lives for the people of their country? Is it because there are none? Is it because we value violence more than nonviolence? I would hope the answer to both of these questions would be NO!
I believe there are people acting everyday in a nonviolent way to fight for freedom, equality, democracy and liberty. The very things wars are apparently fought for. Perhaps the reason these people don't receive as much attention is because quite often they are the dissidents, they are the people that are challenging the government. In fact, since 9-11 North America has seen governments become more and more suspicious of nonviolent peace movements. Instead of honoring them, they have been viewed as potential threats to the centers of power. So much so, that governments have spent resources infiltrating these groups much like they did during the time of MLK.
In light of the ongoing 'war on terror' that has imprisoned many Arab men without trial or access to a lawyer, as well as what has been happening in Palestine and other parts of world, we cannot afford to forget what MLK, Gandhi, and others like them have shown us. They have shown us that the power of nonviolence can force governments to change their policies. It can bring oppressors to their knees. I think this is often lost on us in today's world of people that think 'what can I do? I'm just one person, I can't change the world' WRONG! Heroes like Dr. King, Rosa Parks and Gandhi (being the obvious ones) have shown us that the ideas and actions of individuals are so powerful they can change communities, countries, and the world. When Rosa Parks took her seat on the front of that bus did she have any idea what she would inspire? I doubt it, but it is these seemingly simple actions by everyday people that make all the difference, and collectively they can inspire change throughout the world.
The nonviolent actions during the civil rights era of King were not just actions for that time and place in history. They are actions that can be, and need to be used and reflected as a useful tool to oppose oppression and other acts of injustice throughout the world. I often think that Hamas needs to realize that Israel holds the monopoly on violence in the conflict and an end to occupation will not come through the use of violence. If Hamas truly wants a lasting peace and an end to Israeli occupation and aggression then perhaps they need to accept nonviolent confrontation through mass demonstrations etc. as a way forward to lasting change. I'm not an expert on Middle East politics, or any politics for that matter, but I do know that oppressors always hold the monopoly on violence for it is how they maintain their power over the oppressed. However, one thing oppressors do not have the monopoly on is nonviolent action. That monopoly belongs to the oppressed, and once this notion has been awakened within them, history has shown us it can be more powerful than guns or bombs.

Although I do not know the name of the person who said it, I will leave you with a quote I read in a Ugandan newspaper during the American election that I feel is appropriate for the day:

Rosa Parks sat so Dr. King could walk.
Dr. King walked so Obama could run.
Obama ran so our children could fly!