Initially I did feel obligated to have some elaborate rite of passage into the blogosphere; I've often thought that blogging was a self-absorbed and pretentious effort to force people to care about one's (probably asinine) viewpoints, or pseudo-entertaining links found while surfing the internet (instead of working). However, I read an article today that spurred my desire for catharsis via computer and as such,the preceding lines are all I have to offer in the way of a graceful entrance to blogolescence.
There's a rampant and lethal complacency amongst members of my generation. I myself will admit to it-- at times militant does seem to be the new chic, a shoddy substitute for genuine awareness and conscientiousness. Occasionally we stir from this cultural coma, raising fists for the Jena Six or rallying our brethren for the upcoming Presidential election. The only spectacle sadder than individuals who fail to cherish that which our parents and grandparents fought for is when that individual's parents were Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Enter the King Kids. Today, your local news source will probably inform you that apparently they've tired of suing other people over the legacy they had no part in building. Apparently their new pastime is tying each other up in litigation. The late Mrs. King's personal papers are now the subject of contention amongst the remaining Kings. Martin Luther King III (let's call him "Trey") is demanding the rights to their mother's mementos for a book deal. How sweet.
This isn't the first time the Kinglets have sold the dream to the highest bidder. Little Trey King et al hocked MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech rights for a Cingular ad campaign. They charged the Library of Congress $20 million for the right to archive their father's papers. They threw tantrums demanding a portion of the proceeds from various memorial projects dedicated to Dr. King. They attempted to sue anyone who said the word "dream" for copyright infringement. (Sigh) the last allegation is indeed false, but the preceding are all fact. They're all testament to the sad, sad possibility that, Dr. King (who was no saint, don't get me wrong) dedicated himself to leaving a legacy for which all mankind would be free to enjoy... and his children are neither grateful, nor do they want anyone (outside of the Fortune 500, maybe) to enjoy a part of what is our own history.
This is disappointing, to say the least. The Kings are a disgrace, in so many words. But it's also frightening, to think that maybe most of us are the King kids. We are the sons and daughters of great generations of fighters, of activists, of rebels, and of royalty. But more often than not,we throw it away, or worse--we sell it.
