By Lacey Okamura
Staff Writer
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,” Martin Luther King Jr said.
These past few months, our country has seen a lot of change. This past July, we saw the first woman of color become the Democratic candidate on the presidential ballot. More recently, we witnessed a former president re-elected for a second term, being only the second president in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms. We also saw, and experienced, indescribable amounts of division, fear and hate throughout the presidential campaigns, as well as after.
The hate that has plagued our country, not only in recent weeks but over the past few years, goes against the very principles upon which our country was built: “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all. There can be no progress and no change when we are burdened by our own divisiveness.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a tremendous light in a time of great darkness. In the face of adversity, he chose love. He taught us that we can peacefully and courageously enact change, even when the odds are stacked against you. He spoke out when people tried to silence him, and continued to march when people placed roadblocks in front of him.
King’s legacy is solidified in the way in which he carried himself, and encourages us to do the same. When they go low, we go high. When they swing their fists at you and spew hate, we remain strong, faithful and most importantly, we remain kind.
There was a simple rule that we learned in kindergarten: treat others how you want to be treated. But how easily do we forget this basic principle the older we get? If we want to feel happy and secure, we cannot do so by preventing others from feeling the same. When someone treats you poorly, our instinct is to return the sentiment, but it's important that we remember, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Loving your neighbor means standing in solidarity with them. Loving your neighbor means not just acknowledging but appreciating your differences. Loving your neighbor means accepting and respecting people for who they are.
It takes a strong person to stand up for what they believe in. It takes an even stronger person to continue to love their neighbor even when that love is not reciprocated. By treating others with love and respect no matter how they treat you, you are taking away their power over you. Words can only be weaponized when we believe them.
I know that words can only do so much. The challenges we face today and will face in the future have physical implications on our ability to live our lives. But in darkness, it takes just one spark to make a fire, to make a light for others to see. Progress is slow. MLK Jr. didn’t achieve his goals overnight; he didn’t even live to see them come true. But we can create that spark right now, in how we act and how we treat others. Show them who you are. Show them that hate does not affect you.
Be the spark. Be the change. Be the love.
