January 17, 2011
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One Dream or Two:Justice in America & the Thought of MLK
The confusion over Martin Luther King's Dream and American principles,
which continues to haunt King scholars as well as popular perceptions of King,
is doubtless a result, at least in part, of King's own ambiguity on the matter.As will be discussed in later chapters, King most often appealed to American principles for his causes -- and increasingly toward the end of his career --
he suggested that it was necessary to go beyond American principles,
to transform them into something new and different.In light of this double claim, and especially in light of King's legal status as a national hero,
Americans must again ask a question which heretofore has been avoided.What does the King federal holiday mean for America?
In other words, in celebrating the King federal holiday
are we committing ourselves as a nation to the full dimensions of his Dream,
including its radical elements,
and thus altering our inherited political tradition,
or are we only celebrating the pre-1965 King
and his more traditional liberal principles?Quoting from Nathan Schlueter's doctoral dissertation published in 1999, I think I have finally found a book I want to read about Dr King. A few years ago I had hoped that the one being penned by his personal secretary would come to fruition, but no volume has yet come to market.
Schlueter's opinions seem trustworthy for several reasons: he is currently a professor at my alma mater, Hillsdale College, that bastion of liberal arts study where truth and liberty are promoted; DD#3 took US Constitution from him there; and I thoroughly enjoyed this essay, The Romance of Domesticity, recently published in Touchstone magazine.
Here's a link to some past blog posts on this topic. I guess it piques my curiosity for sure. But as far as a full-fledged book review of this interesting title goes, look for it around this time.... next year?
In the meantime, how are you spending your federal holiday?
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