Power of non-violence

Talk about missing the point on Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

Numerous fist-fights broke out Monday in the stands and on the court during a six-team high school basketball tournament plus R&B performance at Xavier University's Cintas Center. A WIZF-FM DJ begged the crowd of mostly high school boys and girls: "Please, people, remember why we are here. This is MLK Day, a day of peace and love."

Set aside, for the moment, questions about adequate security. With all due respect to the DJ, are appeals to respect a holiday honoring an American hero likely to pacify youngsters if they haven't internalized what may have been Dr. Martin Luther King's greatest gift -- faith in the power of non-violence?

A recent survey found that although college students knew who King was, they were less clear about what he accomplished. I wouldn't be surprised if even fewer know or remember how he accomplished it -- through non-violence. Every year, some express fears that his vision of a color-blind society is being lost, but given our city homicide rates and gun violence, are we in danger of losing an even more transformative MLK legacy -- his abiding faith in the power of non-violence?