Greatest American in my lifetime.

remember the heroes of the old Civil Rights Movement and recognize how much still needs to be done.

This country still has a problem with racism.

I'm a white male and so enjoy unearned privilege. Yet, when I have broached that subject to other white people, they aren't hearing it.

My uncle used to say about this day that, "It's not MY holiday!" He's in his late 90s now, but certainly many, many white Americans may share this feeling.

Problem is, MLK Day IS our holiday. All of ours. We need, now more than ever, to come to terms with slavery and genocide. America has done some very good things in my lifetime (I'm nearly 60), but until we confront these demons of the past, and experience that pain and discomfort, how can we ever realize the potential this nation actually does have? We can be a world leader in SO many ways, but we've got to reorganize around human need - make sure everyone has a level playing field, and equal opportunity - not just lip service, but actually. Obama did a lot, but we need to do more, especially considering the horrible racism he and Michelle had to endure, day after day.

As a white guy, I was appalled when Bill O'Reilly reacted to Michelle Obama's comment that every day when she awakened in the WH, she remembered that it was built by slaves. O'Reilly's reaction was to say, oh, but those slaves were well-fed. Shit. They were SLAVES. That was and is the point. Way too many white people are out of it to this extent.

I've gone through quite a bit of introspection on this, and I know many of you have, as well. My hope is we can pull out those 'better angels' Obama spoke of and make some good, positive social change. Because we're sure going the wrong direction right now.