The celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. came on the day of President Barack Obama's inauguration. For 18 minutes, you heard the words. To find inspiration for what the president might have said that would have elevated him from what could be characterized as "Just Another Liberal Democrat Politician," let's go back to Dr. King and to his predecessor in nonviolent activism, Mahatma Gandhi.
Dr. King first. He risked body and soul on behalf of his race before he was cut down by an assassin's bullet at age 39. He put himself in harm's way countless times on mean streets and hard roads and suffered the mental torture of 29 jailings.
"We must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force," he said in his "I Have a Dream" speech. Regardless of what progress remains to make ours a colorblind society, a survey of today's America on race issues would have to conclude that his life's work was a success.
Gandhi, too, succeeded in many of his various missions. He showed how willpower and determination could influence public opinion and the direction of governance. One of his tools was fasting, risking illness and death to underline the depth of his feelings. He used that tool 17 times, his longest fast three weeks. His final fast was in the last month of his life. It was a successful one, bringing feuding Hindu and Muslim factions closer together.
Obama utilizes the conventional tools of the bully pulpit and jawboning with Republicans. Barring a miraculous bipartisan reconciliation following his inaugural address, all his efforts to bring Republicans and Democrats into agreement on such vexing issues as budget, health care, gun control, et al., have failed. Many in and outside of government are forecasting four more years of gridlock in Congress. If so, consider, the national quagmire by the time 2016 rolls around.
Now is the time — to use the mantra from the "I Have a Dream Speech"— for Obama to take a page from Gandhi's playbook. I commend Gandhi's fasting tool to him. Here is how he could put it to the American people in prime time on all the networks:
"My friends, Republicans, Democrats, independents, Americans all, I have given much thought to the state of the nation and expressed myself at the inauguration. Now I will tell you about the state of the President. I am dismayed about my inability to bring the two parties together and the inability of the congressional leadership to forge meaningful working relationships. I perceive that so much of our legislative process consists of the repetitive ritual of marching up to one cliff after another, then backing off a few steps, then heading to the cliff again. I have concluded that this status quo is so dangerous to the welfare of our nation that I must do something more than I have done.
"Before addressing you, I enjoyed a nice dinner. That will be my final meal for a while. I'm starting a fast, right now, immediately. I don't know for how long. Your president knows no other way to let Congress know they must unite for the good of the country.
"Don't be concerned for me or the working of the executive branch. I will have constant medical attention. I will be on the job. I will maintain close contact with congressional leaders. Now is the time, I say to all our 535 men and women in Congress, now is the time to rise above party and put country first.
"God bless you and God bless America."
If the idea of a presidential fast seems bizarre or kooky to you, ask yourself what practical suggestion you can articulate to blast out of the Beltway stalemate.
Norm Vance is a native of New York and a resident of Grand Rapids, Mich. His email address is nvanc@att.net.