MLK

I ride my bike past the Martin Luther King National Historic Site on my daily commute. When the vision of our leaders is as bright as Dr. King's, it is worthwhile to find its applicability outside of the lives they lived. Riding my bike beneath his sculpture has allowed me to consider the struggle of cyclists in light of the Civil Rights struggle.

It would be wrong to suggest that a bicycle rights movement carries anything near the weight that the Civil Rights movement carries, yet there are similarities that are worth looking at.

One of the great debates -- for both struggles -- has been integration vs. segregation. The case of racial integration has been thoroughly covered. Regarding the integration of motorists and cyclists, there are arguments both ways. Some feel that cyclists and motorists should be provided with separate facilities while others feel it is safest for both sides when the two share the same roadway. The lessons to be learned are the same in both cases.

Both struggles have been hindered by stereotypes. Racial stereotyping is not unlike the stereotyping that occurs between motorists and cyclists. Instead of seeing individuals with differing beliefs and behaviors, we sometimes take a mental short-cut and make a snap judgement based on limited information. The brain is useful that way when we need a snap judgement, but our fellow human beings deserve more consideration.

Both require and ask for tolerance. The tolerance makes it possible for different groups and individuals to see each other as wanting the same outcomes, wanting the same respect, and ultilmately, recognizing that underneath the exterior, we are the same.

I wish to take nothing from MLK's Dream, but I dream of a day when cyclists and motorists can ride alongside each other on our roadways with mutual respect and the courtesy that allows us to safely reach our destinations. For many of my interactions with motorists, that day has come, but we still have a ways to go.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 18.7
Number of Cyclists seen: 13 (5 in AM and 8 in PM)
In-bound Route: Goofin' 9.6
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Above freezing with threat of rain