Former Secretary Hillary Clinton pulled a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech to commemorate his life. In it, he spoke about “the white moderate.” And the moderate’s job is that of “establishing justice.” However, should moderates fail in doing this, they become “dangerously structured dams.”
And as such dangers, they “block the flow of social progress.” What a remarkable thing to say. He spoke almost as if he was reading poetry, because it appears that each word is laden with its own meaning. And perhaps, it was the poetry of transformation. Certainly, his words are meant to inspire.
“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice.” What wonderful depths MLK plumbed. Perhaps, he should have asked, “what is justice?” It seems, justice is different depending upon a person’s perspective, according to Ethics Unlocked:
‘Justice is one of the most important moral values in the spheres of law and politics. Legal and political systems that maintain law and order are desirable, but they cannot accomplish either unless they also achieve justice.’
- ‘Social justice is the notion that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social opportunities irrespective of race, gender, or religion.
- Distributive justice refers to the equitable allocation of assets in society.
- Environmental justice is the fair treatment of all people with regard to environmental burdens and benefits.
- Restorative or corrective justice seeks to make whole those who have suffered unfairly. Retributive justice seeks to punish wrongdoers objectively and proportionately. And procedural justice refers to implementing legal decisions in accordance with fair and unbiased processes.’
Clinton has shown a light on a powerful task Americans must take up and why:
‘MLK Jr. said: “I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice, and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” This is a subtweet.’
Three White Lions podcast, Gloria Christie reads a chapter from her book of the same title. She also writes for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Gloria Christie Report her newsletter for people on the go. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor in a briefer version of Bipartisan Report. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in process). Find her here on Facebook.
