Martin Luther King Day

Today is Martin Luther King day. A national holiday. But what is the focus of this day? I would venture to say that for most it is not a celebration of a truly visionary man who did more than his share to making this world a better place, rather is is a celebration of a day off from work, a day of no classes. A celebration of lying around and basking in the privilege of middle to upper class America. MLK is probably rolling in his grave right now with the knowledge that some of the most visionary, radical, capable people of this generation are spending today lying around, checking up on each other's weekend party pictures rather than doing anything meaningful with their lives. What is unfathomable to me is that these same people rant about what is wrong with the world, diagnosing social and political ills from the comfort of their well-furnished homes. I'm not trying to exclude myself from this crowd, because I've been there before, many a time. But a slew of conversations with my friends and peers about what is wrong with society and the world in general has made me realize how much potential this generation has if we would only get our ideas out of the lava lamp discussion circle and into the real world. Its time to stop bitching and start doing. MLK once said, "Change does not ride in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." So start struggling today for change. Make plans. Become informed. Get radical. Let's make it happen.