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Editorial |
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MLK Jr. holiday worth celebrating March 6, 2002 - Lincoln County commissioners on Monday wisely approved a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday for county employees. It’s an action that would be much more worthy of accolades if it were not so long in coming. Lincoln was one of only 10 of the 100 North Carolina county governments in the state that did not observe the holiday. Chairman Jerry Cochrane seemed to recognize the tardiness of the action with the comment “sorry it took so long.” The city of Lincolnton has also overlooked the observance, and should follow suit. City officials are expected to take up the issue. It’s easy to establish a holiday in honor of famous Americans but all too often it’s an empty gesture. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life in a crusade for human rights. We Americans often have self-righteous delusions about our history and it’s hard to come to terms with those dark chapters in which our society subjected an entire segment of our citizenry to discrimination. A holiday recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. gives us some atonement as well as an opportunity to reflect on a remarkable leader who led us to a higher moral ground. The tragedy of his violent death is underscored by his constant call for non-violence among his own followers. Our community should do more than give city and county employees a day off. A holiday doesn’t capture the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., whose life offers a powerful lesson of inspirational stewardship. We would like to see special observances in our schools and churches, more local programs and exhibitions that recognize the real substance of this remarkable leader. The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners has given us a good start.
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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