Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King.

MayorBob.

Posted to Etcetera on Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 08:53:37 PM EST (promoted by 1fastdog). RSS.

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride - Lyrics from Pride (In The Name Of Love), by U2

Forty years ago a legend died. Was he an agitator or was he one of the 100 greatest leaders in this nation's history? Was he a fighter for civil rights and freedom, a man who kept his eye on the prize or was he a black womanizer who was really a wolf in sheep's clothing? Was he a man of peace or someone who turned against his country in a time of war? Or was this simply his being consistent with his moral compass which said an immoral war must be condemned so a great nation could move forward to achieve the greatness which was within its grasp? All of these things, and more, were facets of the man who passed through this life and touched all of us in some way. This was the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr..

Love him or loathe him. Consider the legacy with respect and awe or pick apart his accomplishments by finding the feet of clay he sometimes exposed. It is damnably perverse that the death of a man of peace should be marked by the hate and violence of race riots. Some say the civil rights movement died as King lay bleeding to death on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. Is that true? Did it have to be that way? Have we moved from a generation of uniters and inspirers like King to a generation of dividers and hucksters like Jackson and Sharpton?

The day he died he was still less than forty years old and had James Earl Ray's bullet not done its business, he might still be alive today. Was his work truly done or did greater accomplishments lay ahead? Would he have lived to see that dream he articulated close to 45 years ago realized?

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

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Tags: written by MayorBob, edited by 1fastdog, Martin Luther King Jr, civil rights, assassination, I Have A Dream, Nobel Peace Prize, Pride (In The Name Of Love) (all tags)

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7	not a big fan wetkarma. Sun Apr 06, 2008 at 04:53:26 AM EST 5.00 (astute, astute, interesting)

Among civil rights leaders I tend to lean more towards Malcolm X than MLK -- perhaps its the militant in me, or the aversion towards (what I perceive) as hypocrisy. My beef with MLK is that his standing rests on a foundation of christian leadership.

For me - I can't get past the duplicity of his christian message and his personal immorality. I find myself very suspicious of leaders who preach a message of revolutionary change involving self-sacrifice because this sort of message has high correlation with cults. Thought experiment: re-read the best of King's speeches -- such as his "I have a dream" speech, and think of it coming from a L. Ron Hubbard, Jim Jones or David Koresh - is the message of unity still the same or is it oh so ever slightly distorted with foreboding of mania?

In judging MLK - I am doing as he had claimed to want -- not by the color of his skin, but the content of his character.

I find him wanting.

Memory is a strange bell, jubilee and knell.

11	Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King Laputan Machine. Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 02:39:05 PM EST 5.00 (informative)

Just wanted to say that the King family does not believe James Earl Ray killed Dr. King. They befriended Ray while he was in prison, believed he was setup, and tried to get him a retrial and out of prison.

See Wikipedia for info/sources...

1	Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King skeeter1. Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 12:46:10 AM EST 3.00

I'm old enough to remember Martin Luther King when he was alive, and have deep respect for him.

My problem (and it's probably just me) is, why aren't all black people given Martin Luther King Jr. day off? By the same token, why aren't all veterans given Veterans Day off? The federal employees get them off, but why not the people who deserve to get the day off?

[/end of rant]

there's only one way to find out...

5 1	Couple of points: MayorBob. Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 01:03:31 PM EST 5.00 (informative, astute)

Dr. King isn't around to give his opinion but I'd suspect that he would object to a federal holiday for only one race. That's based upon a reading of his speeches and teachings which emphasized inclusion, not exclusion, in dealing with America's racial issues.
MLK Day wasn't really an additional federal holiday; they kluged Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday into Presidents Day and put MLK Day on the federal holiday schedule.
I believe that MLK Day is now a recognized state holiday in all of the states (if I overlooked any I'm sure someone will be glad to point that out). Therefore, it's a widely accepted day of observance.
Which brings me to what MLK Day is supposed to be about. It's not really a holiday; it's a national day of service. The premise behind it is that people, rather than head to the mall to scarf up on MLK Day Sales. It's predicated upon the notion that people are encouraged to find some sort of civic project and volunteer their help. I've donated my time and services to a kitchen for the homeless every year. Not everyone hews to the volunteerism aspect of the day, but perhaps they take the time to reflect upon what Dr. King meant to us even if they're not volunteering.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

8 5	Re: Couple of points: port1080. Sun Apr 06, 2008 at 09:30:19 PM EST 5.00 (informative)

Very sadly that's probably true. In 2000 Virginia finally put an end to Lee Jackson King Day, possibly one of the most bizarrely illogical holidays known to man. Offensive, ineffective, and yet oddly charming.

9 8	Re: Couple of points: port1080. Sun Apr 06, 2008 at 10:11:03 PM EST none

Just to clarify, that was in response to point #2, " MLK Day wasn't really an additional federal holiday; they kluged Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday into Presidents Day and put MLK Day on the federal holiday schedule."

6 1	Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King delete me. Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 04:09:14 PM EST 5.00 (funny, funny)

Umm. So. Should I be getting Pearl Harbor Day off, then?

- derumi (del-me)
"Bobby Fischer? Man, that guy is crazy!" - Mike Tyson

2 1	Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King thefadd. Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 01:52:17 AM EST none

Why should black people be given mlk day off?

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

10 2	giving black people a day off skeptic. Mon Apr 07, 2008 at 01:19:24 PM EST none

It may by this time be a bit too late to answer your questions (on-line discussions are nothing if not fast) but I will give it a try anyway, quixotic person that I am.

Even though, let me emphasize, I do not agree that Martin Luther King Day should be a holiday for black people but not for white people (for reasons that Mayor Bob has already explained in full detail) I also understand the psychology that would lead someone to ask why black people are not given MLK Day off.

First of all, African Americans do have legitimate historical grievances. They have been abused by European Americans in many ways, first by being enslaved for some 200 years, and then, even after the end of slavery, by being subjected to various forms of racial discrimination and bigotry, which I probably do not need to explain in detail, we are all familiar with these events. Martin Luther King was a person who specifically fought to bring an end to racial discrimination in America and therefore, his assassination was another form of racial injustice against black people (as well as against people in general, since injustice should be everyone's concern).

Many people believe that blacks in America are owed some form of compensation for the injustices that have historically been inflicted upon them as an ethnic group. This most often comes up with regard to slavery. Since the slaves were never paid for their work (even though they had been promised 40 acres and a mule, at the time they were first emancipated after the Civil War) many people think that their heirs therefore should be paid. But we could also argue that other injustices also require compensation. Perhaps compensation for the assassination of MLK would be in the form of time off given to black employees on MLK Day.

That's why some people have asked that question.

3 1	Re: Forty Years On, a'membering Martin Luther King zyxwvutsr. Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 07:08:52 AM EST none

...why not the people who deserve to get the day off?

Why do black people deserve to get the day off?

4 1	One and the same Lou. Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 11:39:46 AM EST none

The federal employees get them off, but why not the people who deserve to get the day off?

I don't know about today...but weren't a lot of post WWII federal employees already veterans?

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

This story: 11 comments (5 from subqueue)

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Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King.

MayorBob.

Posted to Etcetera on Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 08:53:37 PM EST (promoted by 1fastdog). RSS.

not a big fan

wetkarma.

Sun Apr 06, 2008 at 04:53:26 AM EST

5.00 (astute, astute, interesting)

Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King

Laputan Machine.

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 02:39:05 PM EST

5.00 (informative)

Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King

skeeter1.

Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 12:46:10 AM EST

3.00

1

Couple of points:

MayorBob.

Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 01:03:31 PM EST

5.00 (informative, astute)

5

Re: Couple of points:

port1080.

Sun Apr 06, 2008 at 09:30:19 PM EST

5.00 (informative)

8

Re: Couple of points:

port1080.

Sun Apr 06, 2008 at 10:11:03 PM EST

none

1

Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King

delete me.

Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 04:09:14 PM EST

5.00 (funny, funny)

1

Re: Forty Years On, Remembering Martin Luther King

thefadd.

Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 01:52:17 AM EST

none

2

giving black people a day off

skeptic.

Mon Apr 07, 2008 at 01:19:24 PM EST

none

1

Re: Forty Years On, a'membering Martin Luther King

zyxwvutsr.

Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 07:08:52 AM EST

none

1

One and the same

Lou.

Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 11:39:46 AM EST

none