They were only 19. Fifty years ago this month, Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes, walked across campus at the University of Georgia, the first African Americans to enroll in classes. Imagine the courage it took for these two, whom I would today consider to be children, to walk past cruel and bitter voices of intolerance, to open the door of freedom for all those who followed."Vitriol" -- meaning either sulfuric acid or cruel and bitter criticism -- is written in headlines this morning, not related to civil rights, but about whether politicians are inciting violence through vitriolic websites and debates. This obvious question was prompted by a mad man in Tucson, an assassin who aimed for Representative Gabriella Giffords, and did injure her, and also killed John, Christina, Gabe, Dorwan, Phyllis, and Dorothy -- a respected judge, a small girl with great promise, a young man committed to public service, a retired man described as a 'jack of all trades,' a grandmother from New Jersey who sewed for church fundraisers, a woman who married her high school sweetheart who was injured in the shooting.
To attribute political intent to this crime is inappropriate; this killer is more closely related to Louis Hastings who in 1983, set out to 'kill' the remote village of McCarthy, Alaska (he did kill 6 of its 22 residents) than he is to Lee Harvey Oswald. But the question of the responsibility of leaders in their communications is valid. The power of words and their possible unintended consequences is a key element of leadership. I wonder how Arizona, which seems to have become the front line for debate about real and imagined issues related to the constitution, will step up to this new topic.
Turning this over in my mind, I realized I could second-guess our decision to move to Arizona when we retire. But instead, I read the Bill of Rights this morning. The right of assembly, the right to bear arms, trial by jury, cruel and unusual punishment, due process, search and seizure, federal vs. states rights, remain part of our national identity and national debate. And I recall the words of Charlayne Hunter-Gault quoted on NPR when asked how she would like people in 2011 — especially today's college students — to view the civil rights era.
"I think that the thing that we learned back in the day of the civil rights movement is that you do have to keep on keeping on."
I think I'll do that too, in my own small way. Rather than being cowed by vitriol or fear, I will put them in their proper place. When I look at the photos of Charlayne and Hamilton from 1961, I focus on their eyes, not the vitriolic expressions around them. I will keep my eyes on dreams and plans for a happy fruitful future in a wild and beautiful place called Arizona which at times is as prickly as the prickly pear in this photo; I will stand up for what I believe to be right and true but also respect those who see things differently; I will keep family and friends at the forefront, always.
If I keep on keeping on, I will live into the promise that Charlayne and Hamilton, and many others, had in mind when they acted. To do less would be to dishonor their courage and contribution.
