As a native of Birmingham, Alabama, I hold a unique perspective regarding the Civil Rights Movement.  To many Americans, particularly those of a certain generation, Birmingham will be forever linked with violence, anger, evil, and hostility.

It is precisely this legacy that leads many here of a younger generation who do not remember those ignoble deeds on a path towards resentment.  At times, it seems as though Birmingham is only known for its worst qualities and the worst examples of its lengthy history.  Birmingham natives often get resentful that the city is only known for fire dogs, fire hoses, dynamite bombs, and Klan lynchings, without anyone really taking time to know the many good things about the city.

With time our shame becomes self-reinforcing, and instead of learning from past examples, we instead become mired in the same tiresome arguments.  One should never forget what happened there, but one also should observe the vast amount of change which has transpired forty to fifty years later.