From Anger to Action

This entire article is worth reading. It goes well beyond issues of race and economics. We each need to move from anger to action and "build the wall in front of our house" (and help the neighbors with theirs).

Commentary: Stop complaining, start doing something (CNN.com, 1 Nov '07, Roland S. Martin)

Excerpts:

We have become a nation that is adept at complaining -- but isn't so bold when it comes to action.

See, that's the real problem we have: taking our righteous indignation and doing something about it....

I thought about Richard Neill, a Fort Worth, Texas, dentist who was so sickened by the trash TV talk shows on the air that he targeted the advertisers of Phil Donahue's long-running show.

Neill then began to elicit support from friends and neighbors, and when they were done, Christianity Today says 221 advertisers opted not to advertise on the show. In addition, the crusade caught the attention of other shows and forced them to clean up their act....

Now we must take action. You must decide whether you want to complain about your situation or work to fix the problem. You may not be able to end the war in Iraq yourself, but when you begin to build alliances with others, your action may change the hearts of many in Washington.

You may not be able to solve our education crisis in America, but maybe if you and others get together and begin to tutor young kids, you could increase reading and math scores for your little group.

In the Bible, Nehemiah sought to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Others called him nuts for thinking he could do so. But he pressed on. He also told the people not to focus on others, but just on rebuilding the area in front of their home. When each household just rebuilt their portion of the wall, then the entire wall would be finished, and that would provide protection for everyone.

Too many of us are worried about someone else's portion of the wall. Look at what's in front of you. Fix your portion, and let someone else worry about their portion.
Trust me, you can do it. You can make a difference. You can succeed. And there is no telling how far you can go, but you must start somewhere. Today.