[ the surest route to our common good]

People with vision are rare. When intelligent creative people come into a
community, people who are ahead of the curve, think out of the box and
have the ability to spot trends years before anyone else, it is the responsibility
of the leaders of that community to make sure they are rewarded for their
contributions as an incentive for them to contribute more. Most importantly,
it is their responsibility to make sure the right people are rewarded.

Martin Luther King thought out of the box. He had a dream, a vision if you
will, of equality for all Americans. He would tell you that giving credit to
visionaries when due must not be contingent on race, religion, national
origin, gender, sexual orientation or age. He would also tell you that it must
not matter if they are not of one group or another. And he would no doubt
turn over in his grave if someone else were given credit for a contribution
merely for the sake of political expediency. He would tell you to judge them
on the content of their character, and the quality of their ideas, and nothing else.

Giving credit when credit is due is essential to the economic and cultural health
of a community. The lack of respect for the intellectual property of others can
hold back growth and undermine the stability of the community. It can be
evidence that an overall negative business climate exists. Creative people will
move to greener pastures or cease contributing new ideas, leaving the community
with those who probably have no ideas of their own. Sometimes, great minds do
think alike and the infringement is perfectly innocent. Truly creative people respect
each other's intellectual property and do not feel threatened by competition.
They know they have no shortage of ideas and can afford to be gracious in defeat
when someone beats them to the punch. They tend to be gracious in victory as
well, and will frequently forge alliances with their competitors to develop a project
together. Great minds not only think alike, two or more of them are
definitely better than one.

Martin Luther King  Jr paved the way for one of our best known and celebrated
black film directors Spike Lee to make popular films like "Do The Right Thing."
"Integrity" has been defined as "Doing the right thing even if you think there will
be no consequences for doing the wrong thing."  Let us honor Martin
Luther King Jr by making a commitment to "Do The Right Thing" and make sure
the right people get rewarded for their contributions, not just the politically correct
ones.