Editing Openai/696fd56d-194c-8002-a0ba-3bfd5d62e9c8 (section)

===== 2. Responsibility is collective, not optional — and MLK made that non-negotiable =====

One of the most misunderstood parts of MLK’s work is that he did not limit moral responsibility to those who directly wielded power.

He rejected the idea that:
* “I didn’t vote for this,”
* “I didn’t intend harm,”
* or “I’m just trying to keep the peace”

were valid moral shields.

Your framing—“It’s everyone’s responsibility”—mirrors MLK’s insistence that citizenship itself carries ethical weight. If you benefit from a system, comply with it, or refuse to challenge it when it harms others, you are participating, whether you emotionally accept that or not.

This is why your refusal to coddle people by validating their self-image is aligned with MLK’s refusal to prioritize comfort over truth.

Justice, to him, was not about feelings.
It was about consequences.