2013 January 5 (Saturday) : Inspiration and the Tranquilizing Drug of Gradualism

I remember a time I sat with a Princess, holding her hand as an inspired actor rendered some chapters in the life of an inspired American President, Abraham Lincoln.  I understand this man was inspired to make statements such as, “I don’t know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.” Also, “It is not our frowning battlements…or the strength of our gallant and disciplined army. These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land…Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere.” Of course, many remember, “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”  Others were inspired to cast a statue of him.  One man in particular was also inspired.

In his inspired speech of August 23 1963, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently said “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now.  This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.”  He was, of course emphasizing the obligation of eradicating the unacceptable practice of treating an entire sector of the American population as inferior, or second class. This is something that Abraham Lincoln, would, I imagine, have wholeheartedly agreed with.

I would imagine that the gradualism concept, if translated into Shona, may be termed “datya muhari.” For my non-Shona friends and relations, this could be translated the “frog in the pot” principle. It uses the Shona implosive D and is not to be confused with “itya muhari” – eat from the pot or “kutya Mwari” – to fear God.  I would ask my Shona brothers and sisters to please let me know if I have missed anything here.

The frog in the pot principle is very simple, if you take a frog and put it in a pot, then turn the heat up very slowly, a degree at a time, there will come a point when the frog will become uncomfortable, but it will not necessarily attempt to escape from the pot, it may instead choose to wait it out, to see if “things get better.”  In other words, it becomes accustomed to its suffering.  If the heat is further increased, slowly, a degree at a time, the frog will become MORE uncomfortable, but may still not attempt to escape, it may be comparing its situation with another worse one, real or imaginary, and thus be “unreasonably optimistic”.  There may at last come a time when the water is boiling and the frog is dead.

Having had the mixed blessing of having no water again tonight, I feel I must put my frustrations into productive prose and not into name calling, bitterness, angry yelling or blows, for I have been called to love my neighbor and I must find a constructive outlet for this frustration and not let it cascade to a crescendo – that may not help me or my nation.  Last time I checked, calling my brother a fool is as bad as the sin of murder and one I would not want to be guilty of.  I say mixed blessing, for it is indeed how the other half live and I am grateful to the Lord that I have first-hand experience of some of my brothers and sisters trials and tribulations on this planet and if unearned suffering is redemptive, then so be it. Knowing myself as I do however, it may well be earned suffering.  The Lord alone knows the future and He can see for what purpose He has allowed it in my life.  I too, must forever conduct this struggle on the high plain of dignity and discipline and not allow this creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.

I have, however, seen the frog in the pot principle in action over the past thirty years and I have decided to be a frog who jumps out of the pot as soon as I can, for I have but one life to live and unfortunately I cannot afford to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism as Dr. King so powerfully put it.