Thoughts on Dr Martin Luther King

Our breakfast talk this morning turned into a discussion of Dr Martin Luther King.  

I am so grateful that the concept of segregation is so bizarre and foreign to my children.  

Nathan, who has been studying this in school, asked me, "Mom, is this really non-fiction?"

My little boys cannot imagine this kind of a world.  

Although it is not as diverse as most places, I am so thrilled we live in an area where they are exposed to a variety of religions and ethnic groups on a daily basis. 

On our little street of 17 homes, 

5 of those are families of a different racial background then ours 

and although we share some common threads, our religious beliefs are quite different as well.  

These are kids they play with an go to school with.  

I love how when they tell me about a friend I haven't met, skin color never comes up. 

 I have no idea they are of another racial background until I meet them in person.  

The boys don't even notice. 

I am immensely grateful for people like Dr King who took a stand and fought against injustice.  

I cannot imagine trying to teach my children that we are all children of God and Christ's message of love and compassion while living in such a blatantly segregated community. 

I know that there is a lot of improvement still to be made and stereotypes against religions and races still abound.  The most effective way to overcome that is exposure and friendship with a variety of people from various backgrounds and walks of life.  

Stereotypes feast on lack of personal experiences. 

 Just one of the many reasons I am so grateful for the experiences my boys are having.  

I know that where we live my boys are missing out on exposure to a variety of economical backgrounds, which is also very important and something we want to provide them more experiences with . . . but for now, 

I'm thrilled that the idea of segregation and the need for a civil rights (and women's rights for that matter) movement seems like a "fiction story" to my boys.