Wednesday, November 05, 2008

To Kara......

To Kara and your generation of our family,

I greatly appreciate your strong interest in this election, and I understand being disappointed. Don't despair, dear one, if this election did not go as you had hoped. I think you'll find that our country is extremely resilient, and that its good qualities will shine through during the next four years. It seems to me that we may be entering a period of great peril as well as great potential for positive change. As people of faith we will need to stay engaged, and not abandon our culture in retreat.

What I'll ask of you is that you not completely buy into the extreme negativity which will continue to flow from the new President's detractors, but will continue to cautiously weigh the information available and will give him the benefit of the doubt, where possible. Like many Southern families, mine missed out on recognizing the blessings of the monumental change which occurred during the Civil Rights movement and the Kennedy Administration, preferring to disengage and to villainize the key figures of the era. It wasn't until adulthood that I realized that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a national hero, not a Communist bent on destroying the government. His vocal opposition to the Viet Nam war, for example, was an act of ethics not treason!

I'm looking forward to seeing how your generation will impact us all and make us a better nation for the sake of your families! The world is watching!
Peace,
Greg

2 comments:

Darby said...

Funny, I don't remember the negative rhetoric about Dr. King, rather I remember Dad being upset when he was assassinated. Interesting how each child in a family sees their common experiences in unique ways. I've always viewed Dr. King as a trail blazer and admired him for his nonviolent approach to protest. And that is how we tried to raise our children to see him...of course I'm sure they see it a bit differently than we do, and differently from each other!

Greg said...

Thanks, sister, I appreciate your comment. I've really enjoyed keeping up with Kara through her blog, and I hope no offense was taken. You did a great job with her, even if she did vote Republican! Love to all!