Mark’s Musings – January 18, 2017
Mark Fortune
There were several good games this past weekend in the NFL. The Steelers versus the Chiefs, and of course, the Packers against the Cowboys. That was a great one. Can anyone knock off the Patriots? I give the edge right now to the Packers against the Falcons and the Patriots over the Steelers. Injuries could dampen the hopes of the Packers but I am going with momentum and they certainly seem to have it. But I would not count the Steelers out either. “Big Ben” has a way of winning. So does Brady. It should be a classic.
After hearing a reference to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, I decided to take some time and research this particular document. It is easy to find online in today’s world. Dr. King had been imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation in Birmingham and wrote the letter in longhand. It was his response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South.
The letter was written in August 1963 and I encourage you to research this online and read Dr. King’s response in written word to the eight white religious leaders that called the demonstrations “unwise and untimely”. The basis for the leaders was that the demonstrators were not giving the new administration time to make things happen. This had to do with the election of a new Commissioner for Public Safety for the city of Birmingham.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” is indeed, a letter written from the heart, written with courage and conviction and is perhaps one of the most well written documents of the 20th century. As our nation is observing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as I write this column I thought it poignant to research this article and read it. I believe that it will give you a fresh insight into the mind and heart of Dr. King.
As President-elect Trump continues firming up his cabinet and confirmation hearings are held, a few of the choices stand out. One in particular is of interest to small business owners – the choice to head the Small Business Administration or the SBA as it is more commonly called. Linda McMahon is the choice for this position who was the former Chief Executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, or more aptly, the WWE. Her Senate hearing is yet to be determined according to the New York Times. Mr. Trump is publicly a WWE fan – and in fact, you can find a video of him “taking down” Vince McMahon in 2007. And if you don’t know who Vince McMahon is, you probably do not watch any WWE.
The Trump cabinet is presumably the richest ever and time will tell over the next few months if Mr. Trump and the cabinet can deliver on the promises of the campaign trail. He will be heavily scrutinized by the more liberal leaning national media but let’s hope that the treatment is fair. As we wrote eight years ago about incoming President Barack Obama, Trump will be our President and deserves the respect of the position from the citizens. We all want the best for our community, our region, our state and our nation. And dare I say in today’s global scope, as any 4-H member knows, for our world. 4-H members or advisors will also know that I changed the word “my” in the pledge to “our”.
Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion
