Page 22 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
P. 22
RLD TODAY
OpEd Our responsibility:
To enable others to give
their children a better life
than they have had
By Dr. Harley Seyedin
Chief Editor, South China Business Journal
On December 10, 1964 The Reverend Doctor is an illness that we have permitted to fester.
Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Surely we all recognize manifestations of this illness
Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. In his acceptance in our communities. It is incumbent upon all decent
speech he said, “I accept this award on behalf people of this age to heal this illness, and the first
of a civil rights movement which is moving with step in doing so is to loudly and vigorously oppose
determination and a majestic scorn for risk and its spread. We must do so unanimously, across
danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule political and cultural boundaries. Looking the other
of justice.” way is not an option.
Since the early days of the American Civil Rights At the same time, we must articulate a path forward.
movement we as a society have come a long way but In my acceptance speech for the Oslo Business for
we have not yet realized the world envisioned by Dr. Peace Award I shared my conviction that regardless
King in which people are “[not] judged by the color of our national origin, race, color or creed a fire
of their skin, but by the content of their character.” burns deeply within each of us: the need to give our
children a better life than we had ourselves.
Despite the hard-won Civil Rights victories of
the past sixty years, Americans of color and other I believe that the need to give our children a better
minorities continue to face systemic disadvantages life than we had is a universal human experience,
even as our nation is undeniably enriched by their and I believe that a doctrine in which we view our
contributions. And yet there remain members of interactions with others as opportunities to advance
our society who cling to second-hand hatreds and that goal is a virtuous one. We can halt trans-
cowardly acts of violence. There remain Americans generational cycles of resentment and bigotry by
who pick the scabs off of cultural wounds for no replacing them with cycles of growth and prosperity.
greater purpose than their own temporal gain. There
remain those, some even close to us, who view their It is my true and deeply-held conviction that this is
authority as a right instead of a responsibility. This the only way we will overcome the terrible challenges
that humanity faces in this century.
Photo by Freepik
19 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
OpEd Our responsibility:
To enable others to give
their children a better life
than they have had
By Dr. Harley Seyedin
Chief Editor, South China Business Journal
On December 10, 1964 The Reverend Doctor is an illness that we have permitted to fester.
Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Surely we all recognize manifestations of this illness
Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. In his acceptance in our communities. It is incumbent upon all decent
speech he said, “I accept this award on behalf people of this age to heal this illness, and the first
of a civil rights movement which is moving with step in doing so is to loudly and vigorously oppose
determination and a majestic scorn for risk and its spread. We must do so unanimously, across
danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule political and cultural boundaries. Looking the other
of justice.” way is not an option.
Since the early days of the American Civil Rights At the same time, we must articulate a path forward.
movement we as a society have come a long way but In my acceptance speech for the Oslo Business for
we have not yet realized the world envisioned by Dr. Peace Award I shared my conviction that regardless
King in which people are “[not] judged by the color of our national origin, race, color or creed a fire
of their skin, but by the content of their character.” burns deeply within each of us: the need to give our
children a better life than we had ourselves.
Despite the hard-won Civil Rights victories of
the past sixty years, Americans of color and other I believe that the need to give our children a better
minorities continue to face systemic disadvantages life than we had is a universal human experience,
even as our nation is undeniably enriched by their and I believe that a doctrine in which we view our
contributions. And yet there remain members of interactions with others as opportunities to advance
our society who cling to second-hand hatreds and that goal is a virtuous one. We can halt trans-
cowardly acts of violence. There remain Americans generational cycles of resentment and bigotry by
who pick the scabs off of cultural wounds for no replacing them with cycles of growth and prosperity.
greater purpose than their own temporal gain. There
remain those, some even close to us, who view their It is my true and deeply-held conviction that this is
authority as a right instead of a responsibility. This the only way we will overcome the terrible challenges
that humanity faces in this century.
Photo by Freepik
19 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
