Post No. 143f: And Who Said Nothing Good is on TV?

Yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. President Ronald Reagan signed the federal holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed in 1986. All 50 states of our union first observed the holiday in 2000.

In traversing Twitter yesterday, it was fascinating to note the large number of people who posted MLK quotes in their tweets.

Earlier today, Bravo Network aired a re-run of an episode of The West Wing. During the episode, the President’s daughter, Zoey, is kidnapped by terrorists. President Bartlett, functioning without his Vice-President due to a sex scandal, temporarily relinquishes his position as President. His replacement (played by John Goodman of Roseanne, Coyote Ugly, and The Babe fame) is a member of the opposing party.

At one point during the show, the terrorists set a deadline for the removal of all American forces from their country. In the event of non-compliance, they intend to execute Zoey. There is quite a bit of speculation about whether the more hawkish Interim President will use some form of military force.

In private, Leo McGarry, the Chief of Staff, and President Bartlett have a conversation. Leo inquires as to what the President thinks should be done, to which the President utters a paraphrased version of the following:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.”

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963.