What Makes a Society a Productive Society

By Marco Buglione

A productive society, while difficult to find today, is one that works to the benefit of the people as a whole. Namely, in the civil rights movement. Undoubtedly, the controversy surrounding the issues of equality, racism, the rights of the rich and poor, and systemic discrimination, should not distract from the fact that it is universally agreed by most reasonable minded people that the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s was revolutionary. While the U.S. is an extraordinary country with many historical landmark figures, this does not excuse our lack of vigor in the current day crisis. The American people need to remember their history and mistreatment of certain groups, for example, the African-Americans targeted by Jim Crow Laws, the Japanese Internment Camps during World War II, the murder of Sacco and Vanzetti, etc. Noteworthy points of these figures included the declaration to express opposition peacefully even during the most outrageous circumstances, underscoring the fact that we are all equal and deserve equal protections under the law. In particular, the absolute right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that evil only reigns when good people remain silent; silence in the face of evil is evil itself. Namely, the backlash from society on Dr. Martin Luther King’s (MLK’s) fight for liberty only created a greater motivation for him to pursue his goals. MLK knew that if what he was doing angered people who allied with the status quo, it meant he was breaking the primitive barriers that had existed in the U.S. since its founding.

Perhaps the most vital component to the widespread success and influence of the civil rights movement was Christianity. All edges of American democracy, from the Constitution and Bill of Rights to the Declaration of Independence, invoke the name of God and are inspired by Judeo-Christian values. Notably, the U.S., both then and now, was/is predominantly comprised of Christians, particularly the South where ironically the largest support for Jim Crow laws existed. Dr. King’s faith and religion were among his greatest tools in pressuring Washington, and society as a whole, to re-examine who we are as a nation and how we could do better. He serves as an example of how all Christians must never turn away from evil. In retrospect, it is quite remarkable that a man who grew up in poverty would eventually influence the mind of even the President of the United States. Within just over a year, MLK was a driving force for the passage of both the Civil Rights (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965).

The Civil Rights Movement occurred because it paved the way for equality, freedom, and accountability in our society. As a result, there is no society in the world more fair, moral, and just, despite our problems, than the United States. Nor has any nation made as many sacrifices to get to this point– Americans are willing to die for the cause of freedom, it is something we should all appreciate and in which we should take pride– Abraham Lincoln, Dr. King, and our soldiers, to name just a few. We are the most tolerant and diverse nation and still “the beacon of hope” for all (John Winthrop– also used by Ronald Reagan in his 1989 farewell address). Further, America is a nation of redemption; President John F. Kennedy signed into law the executive order known as “Affirmative Action” to inhibit discrimination in the workplace for minorities, and President Reagan acknowledged the Federal Government’s mistake to intern Japanese Americans during World War II by enacting the “Civil Liberties Act” of 1988 which granted reparations to Japanese-Americans detained in these camps. Regardless of one’s stance on political and social issues, we can be proud that America, for the most part, has not forgotten its history and has made countless efforts to expand the “American dream” for every one of its citizens. Additionally, our right to free speech, perhaps our most important value, was key to the movement’s success. A central reason for America’s divide is that we have lost the ability to speak to people with a different set of beliefs without strife, much of which is violent. This is not in the spirit of our civil rights heroes including that of the late John Lewis, a former Representative in Congress and civil rights activist who helped organize the famous 1963 March on Washington. When we forget our history, we repeat it; today, violence is rampant in the U.S. as people are being “canceled” and in many cases executed due to their beliefs and identities. While we should never be forced to accept or agree with someone, tolerance must always be exhibited, especially towards people with whom we do not always agree because this defines a truly upstanding person. We must compensate for each other depending on our circumstances. For example, a child who struggles in school requires more attention than one who excels; if they all received the same support, that is not equality. Just as it was not equal for the Supreme Court to allege that separate spheres of living were “separate, but equal” in the Plessy v. Ferguson case, as long as they were receiving the same access to education, public transportation, etc. This is because we all have the right to assemble and maintain peaceful relations with one another– regardless of race, gender, or creed.

Likewise, MLK’s famous words of “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” in particular, takes on a unique meaning in America, for many the center of the world and the place to which all roads lead. If America does not stand for what is right, the whole world will follow suit because “when America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold” (twentieth century economists). We all must do our part to fight injustice in society to make progress towards each of our American dreams.