An example I look to in this regard is Martin Luther King. Jr. He courageously protested injustice, and in the short term the path he chose was the most difficult, since he faced opposition both from those he was speaking out against as well as those who believed that a more violent response was necessary to combat the overwhelming odds. While an angry and even sometimes violent response may have been justified, in the long run the integrity of his approach was able to win the hearts of his opposition. Instead of escalating the cycle of violence and providing the other side with fuel for their hatred which he knew would only serve to blind them from recognizing the problem, his approach forced them to look critically at their own opinions and realize their errors. Of course, I think we still have a long way to go in terms of racial equality in the U.S., but his approach enabled the large steps of progress that we have seen in the last several decades.

If only we could apply these lessons to some of the global issues are nation is facing today… but that is for another post.