A Time to Give a Little

During the summer of the Watts riot, I was a civil rights worker in the South with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King taught us that standing up for truth at every turn would expose injustices and bring it into the light where it could be dealt with. If fear and hate were not drawn out into non-violent confrontation, he predicted, they would eventually explode.

In a 1965 speech, Dr. King gave the example of a black man who was now able, by virtue of the Civil Rights Act, to enter any business he chose. King asked: “What does it profit a man to be able to go into a coffee shop and sit down at the counter, if he doesn’t have a dime to buy a cup of coffee?”

In 1992, a cup of coffee is closer to a dollar than a dime, but otherwise his question remains the same. In 1992, another man named King asks, “Can’t we get along?” Since my teacher, the Rev. King, is no longer alive, please allow me to attempt to answer that question.

We can get along but not until we all learn how to give. All of us --European, African, Mexican, Asian, Indian, Jewish, Protestant, Moslem, Catholic, white, black, tan, olive, pink--have a lot to learn about giving: giving of ourselves, giving of our wealth, giving of our time, giving respect, giving praise, giving constructive criticism. We’ve got to give a little on our positions, even give in sometimes, because it’s clear now that something’s got to give. To those whose ancestors have been terribly wronged, we as a society must give a break--not a handout, but an opportunity.

Let’s all look into our hearts and give a little. Remember: You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.

LANNY KAUFER

Ojai