Legends vs. Clowns
Janice Pernell
Tuesday, April 9, 1968 was a horrible day for me. It was the day Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. was buried.
I was seven years old. My daily routine included leaving school at lunchtime and
walking to my babysitter’s house to have a hot lunch and watch The Bozo Show
before returning to school for the afternoon session of classes. But on this day, my
beloved Bozo Show was replaced by a funeral procession. My world was turned
upside down. Not because Dr. King was being buried, but because I was missing
the Bozo Show.
Now, a second-grader who’s not quite in touch with what’s happening in the world
can be excused for letting a clown be more important to her than a heroic man
who fought for equality. But what’s the excuse for the many adults today who are
letting a clown (I’m thinking of one political “clown” in particular) have more
influence in their world than people who truly have a heart to serve and help the
people?
Legends have a place in our hearts and minds. They win Nobel Peace Prizes. They
change the world and make it a better place. Clowns, no matter how boisterous,
should remain in the circus and not have a powerful place in our lives.
Janice Pernell, author of Cayenne and No Right Way to do a Wrong Thing
18 | NKLC Magazine