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Subscribe to RSSAfter months of controversy, a quote on the Martin Luther King Jr.'s memorial will be changed to more fully reflect what the civil right leader said. NBC's Lester Holt reports.
A quotation inscribed on the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will be changed following months of complaints that the statement was edited out of its original context, a spokesman said Friday.
The quotation on the left side of the memorial, which opened in August in a park near the National Mall in Washington, reads: "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness."
Advocates have complained since then that the quotation makes King appear self-righteous or arrogant, pointing out that what King actually said in Atlanta on Feb. 4, 1968, was this:
"If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."
Rachel Manteuffel, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote in an opinion piece Friday that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had given the National Park Service 30 days to consult with the King Memorial Foundation and others, including members of King's family, to find a better quotation.
Interior Department press secretary Adam Fetcher confirmed Salazar's order, NBC News' Kelly O'Donnell reported from Washington.
You can read Manteuffel's Post column here
Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images
An inscription on the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington misrepresents King's ideas, critics say.
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Silly story. The inscriprtion is exactly what he asked for it to be and say. Doesn't any one understand English any more?
Agree. HIs lazy, greedy children okayed the inscription and the monument itself, for which they received $750,000 to build this monstrosity on precious Nat Mall green space. Want changes, then the King family ought pay for it. Contrary to other posts, taxpayers ARE paying via the National Park Service for it's maintenance, in perpetuity.
King was white?
Yes, be sure to do it over, and over, and over, and over until you get it just so. Ironic how this thing was built by foreign labor. Labor from a country known to repress it's own, slave labor in a sense. Yes, how proud the "King" family must feel. Perhaps a statue of Abe...or I should say another one. Didn't he really start the freedom movement? But hey, that's another story. The statue does show his true colors...otherwise the King family would have changed it. Least I think anyway.
I certainly hope that private funds are being used to make this fix. This ugly eyesore of a monument was designed, built and installed with private money. The design was approved by King's family. If they now want to change anything, it should not be coming out of the taxpayers pocket. There really is no justification for changing the quote either, because the arrogance it conveys is reflective of the real MLK. MLK may have done a lot of good, but he was far from this great, perfect man he is being made out to be by the revisionist historians. It was well known that MLK cheated on and hit his wife, had a temper, was arrogant, and had other flaws. Trying to whitewash over these flaws and portray him as some kind of saint is wrong.
Private funds or not, MLK is a great man by anybody's measure.
My friends and I usually pay tribute on Dr King's birthday by drinking down a couple of Forty's, or Foatys, whichever you prefer...
thats what i thought, yea, well, sounds like the same thing to me!
Better hurry up and fix it, I looked at the statue, and he looks pissed off to me...
I say use his original quote. I see him describing a 'set', a set of shallow things, i.e., everything they had to say.
While thay are at it change the whole thing so he does not look like Mao.
Looks like the mountain spit him out....or he was in a hurry and plowed right through it....or maybe it's not a mountain at all but a stone representation of ill wind....
Whatever it's supposed to represent...it's nice to know the Chinese dig hallucinogenics too.
Wow!!! I wonder how much THIS is going to cost the taxpayers to honor Political Correctness?????
I witnessed, as a child, the civil rights movement. I went to Alabama when I was 7 years old to bury my mother and saw first hand the Jim Crow laws in practice.
I've always known that white people hated MLK, even though they tried to mask it for many years. These posts are merely a reflection of how most white Americans really feel about the civil rights movement and MLK. He was not a perfect man -- can you name one that is? But, he was a man of courage to stand up to the hatred and violence displayed against unarmed African Americans at that time, and these whites had the law to back them up. The only reason it doesn't happen today is because there would be a price to pay.
I'm not surprised at anything I'm seeing on this board. You're just being what you are.
Kat, please name me one, just one nice African CITY, TOWN, PROVINCE, STATE, COUNTRY, COUNTY, TOWNSHIP, I know you can not! This is the saddest race in HISTORY! This is just blacks being blacks. Please name one city that turned black that wasn't ruined?
Come on Kat, you have not answered. My parents grew up in Gary, Indiana, a beautiful industrial city that they were so proud of. When the blacks moved in it became the murder capital of the nation, it is a boarded up hole now. If MLK was such a great man he most certainly would be turning over in his grave now because the way this race lives with a continued chip on their shoulders is not what he wanted. WE did not enslave them. Time to move on as the Jews have done and make something of the race. WE owe them nothing.
MLK day is Monday. My company gives us the option to either take it, or take a 'personal day' some other day. Valentines Day I'll be taking my personal day. Those of you who like to celebrate MLK day- enjoy.
Well said Kat. I also think the article should have explained more about the quote and the problems it has caused. It was others not the King family that initial got upset. But I don't suppose most of the posters on here care about that.
And what a sad reflection of King's ideals you are, kat:
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."
Clearly his words fell on deaf ears in your case. You will never hold whites to be equal as long as you believe "most white Americans" are racist. What does that make you?
WOW! Can't believe the racisim coming out these posts... really geo-1957883? and no Dan-404986 it's not what he said nor was it the sentiment he was stating - don't YOU know English? Name one White person who has a National Day in our US history; even Abraham's Day became infused in President's Day. Dr. Martin Luther King was the catalyst to equal rights, not just for ethnic minorities but for ALL races including Whites. The only people who didn't appreciate what he was doing to unite this country were the KKK and White Supremists. Now if any of are part of these groups then I can understand your impervious ignorance.
Secondly, the "children" didn't approve the quote as it is currently written, as a matter of fact there's a board who approves all things with King's name not just the children and again it wasn't approved as it is now. The mistake was the sculpture's. There wasn't enough room to put in what WAS approved so they took it upon themselves to shorten it to fit.
Thirdly, the King family didn't ASK for the memorial but were asked if they would approve of the idea....
Geo-
Amazing that your post didn't get "collapsed", with your racist comments toward "African Americans", (not "Africans" as you put it) for which you have no facts to back up your claim for, but someone who witnessed blatant racisim in its true form right in front of their eyes growing up, simply shares what is a fact, and their comment is "collapsed by the community"? And what does your comment have to do with ANYTHING regarding MLK? You simply got on here to read comments and find something negative to say about "black" people? Pure racisim in its truest form.
The inscription is in quotation marks, yet it is NOT a quote. Nor is it what he asked to be said of him. That request would have read: Dr. Martin Luther King was a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness.
You dishonor him, much like you dishonor the dead of 9/11/2001, with deliberate falsehoods.
Dan--please take the mote out your own eye before pointing out the mite in another's. An understanding of english makes it clear that what the inscription should say is "HE was a drum major..." .
For all those so concerned about taxpayer money please get it through your thick skulls that this has been paid for with PRIVATE funds.
I remain absolutely amazed at the level of ignorance and total disregard for facts displayed by so many people.
Stopbickering.....
Geo asked questions that have no real nice answers when answered truthfully. That does not make him or anyone here a racist.
Stopbickering, I do think DR. King was truly a person for all people to listen to. Just a shame african-americans don't. How have they advanced as a whole? Stop blaming America for your promblems. I wish we could all come together and drop the hyphens, and call us all just AMERICANS.
For your information people who are bitching about racism.
It's human nature. Has been for millennia. From prehistoric times you are taught to look after your own group. Now you can shove the racist moniker on me as well if you wish, but underneath all of your political correctness and integration and equal this and that, you know if you are given a choice you are gravitating towards your similar group. This is why every major metropolitan area in the world has quarters that hold Asians, Africans, Indians, Latin Americans and so on. It is a fact of life that separation exists, we are drawn to our own type of people. And do not give me the whole socio economic argument about quarters and inner cities and no opportunity, it is not like that and if you research you will know it.
The idiocy comes in when people try to avoid, conjure up reasons why or simply hate others for being. You will never understand what it is like to be black if you are white and vice versa. So stop trying, accept that you are totally different and get on with life already. It does not mean hate, it means get over it already.
As far as MLK is concerned, it is questionable as to why he got a holiday before Malcom X. At least Malcom X told it like it was and didn't have the bible and all that christian foolishness shoved up his ass, especially considering just how much of a verified hypocrite Dr King was in his life. We need a Malcom X day. He was far more real and, in my opinion, effective.
Why does any one care about this??? I get that he was a great man but so was Reagan(won the cold war, what more do you want?) and he doesnt have a statue or a holiday... get over MKL get look forward, what has passed has passed, so GET OVER IT!!!
Enough with calling poeple racist. This entire thing made me think about the am "I insane or is everyone else insane thing"... Enough already...
My preference would be the part of his 'Dream Speech' which said;
"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 think all good men would agree with that statement.
get look forward, Reagan was a puppet. He was suffering from dementia when the USSR collapsed. At least there are a few people who are not racists starting to post.
When I visited the memorial i thought it looked very ugly and somewhat Maoist. I thought it made MLK look like a god, not a man. Also I did not see one quote from the "I have a Dream speech"
MLK was a hero.
To tell you the truth, I am tired of this racist nonsense, and I am Jewish with a Asian wife. Sadly today if you do not agree with someones religious beliefs, their social outlook on life, agree that all white people should live with collective guilt then you are called a racist. Sadly, I think if Rev. King was alive today he would be ashamed of what has become of his dream. People rapping about killing people, women are disrespected and called nothing more then whores (and sadly some act out what they are called), the inner city instead of trying to dig themselves out of their poverty instead go for the quick and lazy way and sell drugs or worse.
So call me a racist. Thanks to the politicians today and idiots like Rev. Sharpton, racism is nothing more then to get quoted on T.V. and a phrase thrown at people to guilt you into doing what they want.
I have a new dream, where all are equal, people that refuse to better themselves are not a victim of their circumstance but are lazy. I have a dream where the color of ones skin or the faith of one should have no more meaning then what they like to eat. I have a dream that adults learn from children (the good parts, and instead of calling each other names), we see past the superficial and judge a person by their character. I have a dream that politicians from the president on down will quite destroying this country in the name of their party, and regardless of the consequences will do what they are meant to do, to once again raise us up to be a morally, materially, and intellectually the richest country in the world. And last I have a dream that we quite treating our enemies like friends and our friends like enemies!
I guess it will stop as soon as people like geo stops, as soon as the kkk gets treated like the panthers did and all hate groups stop hating Oh and Geo Seattle has a strong middle class, if you look you will find then truth.
Why doesn't it say what they are changing it to? Dumb.
Instead of blaming racism for all the faults, try living a life where you are created equal. For everyone that means that you are resposiblee for your own life and actions. To be quite honest this cry of racism is getting old and is nothing more that a tool for democrats and liberals to use to buy your vote. Everyone wake up and live free, not a life of being lead by the nose only to be told you are second class because of race. Stand on your own two feet and be 1st class. Don't you see that skin color is not an issue, character is. This applies to everyone regardless of skin color.
The story clearly states MLK's quote is paraphrased. Listening to the speech and reading the inscription, it is clearly obvious. It really is sad that one would use "exactly" and it be wrong.
---------------
Dan-404986
Silly story. The inscriprtion is exactly what he asked for it to be and say. Doesn't any one understand English any more?
Use of the term whitewash seems appropriate on so many levels.
MLK was indeed a great man: intelligent, articulate, well spoken, and principled. He stood in the face of challenges that most would shrink from in cowardice. But he was also just a man. He had personal faults just like every other man (some rather egregious - like whoring around and wife beating). And he was racist. He talked a great talk, but he never did anything that didn't help his own race. Plus, he essentially blamed white people for all of black people's problems; a black tradition still in existance today. Black people will not be equal until they stand up and be equal. They rioted until white people picked them up, but we can't hold them up forever. We have other things to do - like build a civilized society (something obviously long neglected).
Stormrider- well said and thank-you. All races in this country need to slow their roll and take a good look at the history of slavery and not just black slavery! Another poster said basically that whites don't owe balcks in this country anything and I'd say thats about right. TRUTH blacks in North Africa were enslaving each other long..... before there was an America. Blacks enslaved blacks and european whites. I read about slavery of all races back to the 1600" and I'm sure its' recorded further bvack than that. Take a look at the history of whites and other races enslaving whites. Look at the history of "Indentured Servants", another name for SLAVE. The fact is that all races have been corrupt, cruel, inhumane and the list could go on indefinetly. Everybody needs to get OVER it, move on, grow up and make this world a decent p[lace. No razce should have the balls to blame their misfortunes and their misdeeds on the past. Take a look around the real world, slavery does still exist in several forms EX: sex slavery. Get off your stinkin' high horses and do something productive about that and quit yer bitchin" as the saying goes!!!!!!!
The posts on here by many leave me very sad. It is quite obvious that the 'dream' is still a long way off...the blatant racism is nauseating.
I grew up using the term "nig--r" I was raised to see Blacks as inferior, to distrust them and denigrate them to hate them. Then I met Vincent in the 2nd grade (An early integration). I never saw someone so in need of a friend, on Valentines day he got only one card, from me...not even the Teacher gave him one.
You know he was one of the nicest kids I knew.
Slowly over the years I changed, In college I stood at the SC Statehouse and held hands in a circle and sang "We Shall Overcome"
I am the proverbial son of a former slave owner as my ancestors owned quite a number of them.
I share Dr. Kings dream
I am on that hill in Georgia
Join us there for a better world.
(Yes I am white and I am well off)
I agree that it would be better if the inscritpion was He was, rather than I was. I interpret the unfinished look of the memorial to mean that his work isn't finished.
I agree with the complaints. The edited excerpt makes him sound arrogant. The unabridged quote suggests only that justice, peace and righteousness were important to him, and that he aspired to be a "drum major" for them. That's quite a bit different than declaring himself one. Context is really important. Besides, the edit is kind of corny to have engraved by the statue, as if the statue is describing itself, wax museum-style.
"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."
The real problem blacks folks have today is that they use racism as an explanation to explain all their misfortunes and blame their issues on anything other than themselves.
Liberals love this and use it to buy votes from blacks and enslave them to their liberal agendas- designed to make liberals look sympathetic but really buys them we are nice advertising for their charitable policies giving away money that is not theirs but taxpayers $$$ to buy votes and waste taxes..... Hollywood and NYC elite libs use the media they own to manipulate the masses of sheeple to buy the liberals they control for personal pet projects. The govt programs are creating more poor by paying bonuses to poor women who have more kids out of wedlock to create more liberal voters and grow liberal govt control. If you cant afford kids you should be PENALIZED NOT REWARDED!!!!!
Nothing worth anything is easy. Hard work is required to get ahead. Character is a important.
Racism is not the real problem blacks face in MOST situations , a majority of their problems are a result of CHARACTER and WORK ETHIC ISSUES!
King would be disgusted of what his dream has become. Crosby has it right.
Blacks have not done enough to advance despite of MLK efforts, but racism is still alive and kicking in the US. Both issues are a shame.
Kat - try looking in a mirror. Why is it all right to call white people racists when you are also a hater?
Scales67......I think Kat has every reason by just reading this board. I am I white. The hatred that exudes is just sickening. I also was on the IMDB.com board, reading the message board for the movie, "The Help" and the racism there was astounding. Trust me, Dr. King's dream is far from being realized and I think that Kat is very right. Only white people can say, "Oh, well, be color-blind" in a time when unemployment is bad, even for white people. Yet, we tell black people that there is a level playing field, when black unemployment is twice that of white unemployment. We have come a long ways (lynchings, cross burnings) but we still have a very long way to go. Kat, I am very sorry. Please don't think all white people think and act racist. Some of us like to think we are more enlightened.
First of all, the artist/s should pay the $ for their own mistakes. Second of all, then do the quote correctly, only.
This was paid for by PRIVATE contributions and the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT had no involvement other than permitting it on Federal property.
It was designed by a Chinese artist, and then to add insult to injury, IMPORTED Chinese labor was used to install it.
WHY is it now the Federal Governments responsibility to correct what PRIVATE organizations accomplished.
Go back to the people that ACCEPTED the inscription and paid for it the first time. Have them pay to correct their own error.
The government donated $10,000,000 in matching funds.
I am so ANGRY at the whole WORLD that I have to write in caps when I manufacture OUTRAGE!
"WHAT !!??"
i'm so glad to know that the words are going to be changed to reflect the meaning of what dr king said. he was not making a blanket statement that he was a "drum major" as the inscription now implies. he was giving the credit for his title as a "drum major" to those that choose to use it.
I'm guessing MLK would be appalled by the "life" his descendents live.
Simply Change the I to HE and take out the quotation marks. He said if you want to say ... and WE WANT TO SAY!!!
Dan....et al..... But but but the PRIVATE organizations and sectors are always doing a better job than the public sector ever could.... don't you know that yet? LOL Don't you know that the public sector is only there to pick up the pieces and correct the mistakes of the private sector... LOL
Anywho, perhaps the awarding of the contract to a Chinese Artist was probably.... to show how inclusive we are and or perhaps to get some 'consideration' from the Chinese govt on other 'projects' for some members of the private organization/foundation? Why else would the project be done by Chinese workers if what posters are noting on this message board is true?Hmmmm
It begs to question how much imput did the King family really have in the whole project for real? If they had not agreed with the choice of sculpture (if they were even asked in the first place) would it have mattered or were they just supposed to be or feel grateful that anything was being done to honor their father etc in the first place..... LOL
Oh well, at least the masses have spoken and they are not pleased with the inscription. Some are not pleased with the sculpture either. Why not have done like a 'relief' sculptured on/into granite or some other stone(like a full sized cameo), then the "I have a dream" speech could have also been sculpted into the stone, like the Vietnam veteran memorial?
By the way Dan, that is not what MLK said nor tried to say or meant or tried to impart to his listeners/audience imo.
And yes I do understand English as spoken by Americans and English as spoken by the English/GBers.
Commas and pauses do help to impart meaning to what is being stated by the speaker too. Thus when they are removed it can and do change the meaning of the statement made or feelings being implied.
Thus the contracted - also as in shortened - inscription does not convey the essence of the statement or of the man imo.
I do realize that we live in a society that seem to believe that 'less is more' when it comes to words. Hence Twitter and texting. But then again this can also cause misunderstanding. This too we have seen happening with tweeting etc in recent times.
I won't bother to continue as most folks are probably into the 3 minute attention span and do not want to bother to think through or read anything that is more than a paragraph long anyway.
Peace .......and better understand...... etc etc etc
Jesus Christ Gandyy... Why don't you just say what you really feel. That is a disgraceful comment. History is written by winners- Napoleon What he meant by that is the d bags that kill you get to tell your story. Good to see this was put in it's proper perspective. Damn the next time I hear a republican bitch about being called a rascist I will refer them to this thread. Horrible human beings on here. Ciao
.
I believe Maya Angelou was the first to speak out about the inscription...expressing her disappointment. Now, as I did then, I still don't understand the uproar. What he "didn't really say" and what he "actually said" seem to say the same thing to me. What am I missing?
The sculpture makes King look smug...he was a passionate and compasionate man, a visionary. The sculpture itself is cold and impersonal and an aesthetic disaster. It vibes like Maoist propaganda iconography.
A committee picked a Chinese artist who made the figure out of Chinese stone blocks that are cemented together with Chinese glue like bricks. Qualified black American sculptors proposed to carve the figure monolithically out of a solid piece of American stone, but the names of the American artists were discarded by the committee.
The work cost millions of U.S. dollars and was funded privately, however a look at the top 20 contributors shows the Who's Who? of corporations that had been bankrupt prior to receiving American Taxpayer TARP funds and other American Taxpayer bailout funds. A case can be made that the figure was funded by tax payers after all.
The Martin Luther King family sued and were compensated with a large sum of money for the use of their husband/father's name and likeness for the statue.
The quote on the side of the figure is out of context and awful. It is bad in so many ways. I totally agree with critics that the quote misrepresents Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King's actual words are beautiful. Why not just grind off the abbreviated message and chisel in Dr. King's exact words?
I marched with Dr. King in 1968 and can tell you he was a short roundish fellow. I think he would get a good laugh if he could see a statue in his likeness 10 meters high. The statue stretches the truth, literally and figuratively.
I never knew he had a band and he played drums. How come thats only surfacing now?
tdm3624, I'm sick of people making a bit deal out of others' using caps to add emphasis to a word. It is not easy to convey emphasis in written language, especially when you are engaging in debate and you really, really want to get your point across. Granted, there is the option of italics or boldface, but neither is as CONVENIENT as simply holding the shift button. This is not the New York Times we're writing for, it's a simple discussion thread. Let people be. Nobody likes a caps Nazi.
I'm think XDm9mm hit the nail on the head. With all the money situations the U.S. has stop spending money on this bull***t. This is whey we can't get our finances together.
'making a mountain out of a mole hill"...have the organization who hired the artist who did the work fix the problem. simple!
Some people are never satisfied, they got the monument.............
The "I have a dream..." speech is probably one of the most recognizable as well as inspirational speeches ever given. How on earth did an obscure quote that might be "nice" but not even possessing 1/100th of the power of "I have a dream..." find its way onto a national monument. And how come it took the Martin Luther King family/foundation/whatever this long to decide it wasn't appropriate?
AND, who was the politically correct idiot who allowed a United States monument to a man who fought for freedom to be made in a totalitarian, despotic God forsaken hell hole like China? China a nation who has not the slightest compuntion about locking up and throwing away the key on anyone who is foolish enough to express even the smallest expression of a desire for individual freedom.
This is the type of controversy and stupidity that ultimately cast an unhealthy and undermining pallor upon both the legacy of a true freedom fighter.
Although I think the man obviously deserves a monument on the Mall, since he was *the* transitional figure between what was and what is and is coming, far as equality for all in this country is concerned, I don't like *this* monument. Aside from the out of context inscription, which I'm glad they're fixing or outright changing, the statue itself just doesn't seem right. Looks too much like those old communist memorials you see scattered all over the former USSR and Eastern Europe. The whole style of it is just... wrong, and dry, and cold.
People looking at this monument who don't know much about the man and his story and history, would get the impression from looking at that stern visage that he was somebody in a position of power who commanded the country to do right, when in reality he was just a man of the cloth without any official position, but with extraordinary talent and the ability to use moral persuasion to bring the country along to start doing what's right. Statue just doesn't capture that warm-and-fuzzy hope I think of when I think of MLK - who was an inspirational figure, after all, who spoke to the better angels of our nature. This dude looks more like an old school communist cadre who might've hung around Lenin or Stalin, or been on the Long March w/ Mao. Like he's ready to open a can of whup-asz on somebody, or pass a sentence of mass execution on some counter revolutionary backsliders or kulaks or something :D
But then again, I didn't like the FDR memorial when it first opened, but got used to it and came to love it eventually. Something about being able to soak your feet in its running waters after a day walking the Mall is pretty redeeming in of itself (does this one have any running water or a place to sit down and chill from the hot sun, or is it just those three big rocks and that's it?)
The government did not "donate" $10 million. The money was set aside for the project but the organizers failed to adhere to the Buy America Act when they bought Chinese granite quarried by slave labor; hired a Communist Chinese artist--which was a sole source award; then brought Chinese workers over to construct the thing. The granite contract for the sculpture itself was not set out for bids. US granite companies were only allowed to bid for landscaping construction. So this IS a private project. Why the government is suddenly involved is a good question, because there certainly was no interest when the crates arrived on our shores and were transported through neighborhoods of forclosed homes and driven past Americans standing in welfare lines to end up on our National Mall bearing all these Chinese goods.....
No disrespect to Dr. King, but based upon the construction of the monument, I personally think the better quote should be: "Made in China".
Martin Luther King was a true prophet who gave gave his life for the good of his country and the world.
spike-322306
"The government donated $10,000,000 in matching funds."
The government doesn't donate anything. It takes from taxpayers and redistributes.
King was one of the greatest republicans. I'll bet few dems knew that.
Bob has a dream... You sir are making me LMAO...
Even with the full quote he sounds self-righteous and full of himself. Just like every other race-hustling preacher today.
How about Jackie Kennedy's quote about MLK?
Maybe these two fools should read on the historical context of her statements. She soured on MLK because of supposed "comments" made by him after Kennedy had been killed, but those statements were given to her by J. Edgar Hoover, and we won't know what they exactly said until 2027, when they're released by court order. My contention is that it's a bunch of bullsh!t, considering the sh!t character of Hoover. The guy was a sociopath, and a racist to boot.
MLK was one of the great leaders of the 20th Century. I have no idea what these crocks are getting this from.
Jackie Kennedy said that Martin Luther King was "a Phony" and "Tricky". She said she couldn't look at a picture of him "without thinking...that man's terrible."
And who supplied her that information Mark? With a supposed wiretap, and evidence we can't see until 2027 because it's sealed by a court order?
J. Edger Hoover was an insult to gay people.
Ask the two prostitutes he had sex with what he said the night before he was shot. This is true!!!!
I wish someone would explain why MLK's FBI records are sealed until 2027?
MARK......, Jacky Kennedy said a lot of things that gives one pause, and not in a good way either. Also it is doubtful if she ever had an original thought as she seem to believe that women were simply to take care of their home and husband, their husband should think for them and not to think for themselves. So she was just the product of her narrowminded upbringing imo. Also makes one wonder if she really knew who MLK was in the first place.
Bachmann seem to be a throwback to those times imo, no wonder she mis-speaks and or sound crazy a lot of times.
Considering JFKs 'fidelity' issues, Hoover propensity for voyerism with his wiretaps, spying on people who he thought may be a threat to himself etc, it is amazing that anyone would be talking about MLK's fidelity issues imo. LOL
LARRY... why don't you go ask the various members of Congress and the various other people in public life, like ministers of religion etc about their...... 'knocking boots' adventures of the male or female variety..... LOL So try something else that is more obscure and would be viewed as shocking in this day and age..... LOL
Like the Good Book states.... 'all have sinned and come short of the glory' and also states that 'there is nothing new under the sun'. So? LOL
"Let he who is without sin...cast the first stone"..... That too is in the Good Book....
Peace...love.... and understanding to all.....
MLK was a phony preacher, a womanizer and adulterer, and a plagiarist-both written and verbal. His murder was a terrible deed, but if that had not occurred, he would be considered an early edition of Al Sharpton or Jesse "shakedown" Jackson. In fairness, Sharpton has not been noted as a womanizer; unlike Jackson.
All of these negative human traits that people are posting have nothing what so ever to do with what this man did for his people. The courage it took to lead those marches and give those speeches is by any meaning of the word incredible, to do it unarmed and defenceless is heroic. He not only helped his people but he helped this country to finally realize how unjust the treatment of blacks was!!!
You may be right, however, that doesn't mean that todays' taxpayers need to make reparations to a statue that is not living, breathing nor has a soul. Its' stone, concrete, rebar and so on. You can remember this man as a person who indeed had faults and was no saint in alot of respects however, his redeeming qualities had a lasting impact on the entire world. Isn't that enough?
Don't get me wrong. I truly believe that Dr. Martin Luther King has provided the African-American community with a moral compass that they can look up to and emulate. It's in the news almost every day. African-Americans live their lives the way Dr. Martin Luther King lived his.
The Euro-American community made this country the greatest that has ever existed. The African-American community is clearly displayed in the crime reports.
Markwonder, your sarcasm is duly noted....Ok?
Or did you think you were being clever and no one would notice?
Seeing that MLK's message was not only for black folks alone as you state, but for all Americans let me correct your misconception.
I truly believe that Dr. Martin Luther King has provided
the African-Americanscommunitywith a moral compass that they can look up to and emulate. It's in the news almost every day.African-Americans live their lives the way Dr. Martin Luther King lived his.Now that is more correct, don't you think ......
By the way we all have good and bad in us and can also be sinner and saint. That is being human....
BZe1,
You obviously don't read a lot of social statistics or watch many convenience store flash mob videos do you?
I think the African Americans pawned their compass for a forty because they are more lost than when King was alive.
Just remove the "I was" and everyone should be happy Wouldn't take more than 5 minutes to do.
So are those protesting the inscription PAYING for the change, or does that duty fall to taxpayers like me who didn't even support the placing of this memorial on "We the People's" property?
I am sure the Chinese will be charging your representitive in Washington. I guess that means you..sorry.
The statue is a poor design of the sort and I'd like to know which others were submitted for approval. Maybe they should replace it with another design while they're doing the modification work. Even the one of F D R is rather grotesque-of course ,in my humble opinion.
I wonder how many millions of dollars this will cost?
King appear self-righteous or arrogant
Hum I thought he was
King was just a man who decided to go out and get his hooks into the movement.He liked hookers and partied with them and made a lot of money as did his family from the fight for equality.Had he not gotten shot he would be like Jesse Jackson today,a hanger on and political pundit.The worse thing is the horrendous amount of money spent on a statue,he has many already and if a person of had the real interests of their followers his family would give that money they got and funds for the monument to the poor
There's no such thing as a self-rightous, arrogant, self entitled black man.
He looks more like Chairman Mao LOL...they should change that first. King did some good things but he was also far from a saint.
Very far from a Saint and I am not sure he would be so honored if he had of lived. He was under the watchful eye of the FBI and was already on the fast track to indicments. But he was the spokesman in a time when rights needed to be addressed and was what that movement in that time needed.
Regardless much money has been made by his name which if truth be known is Michael King not Martin Luther King.
So many positive things came from a man with many many human flaws. That is the truth.
Now, you're trying to imply that he was some kind of child molester. That's low, even for your kind.
hey kat, you are the only one to say he was a child molester. troll much?
Are you impaired in your ability to read? No one said he was a child molester. That is your vivid imagination.
Since he looks like Mao, maybe they should change the inscription to say, "I have a dleam..." :)
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/10-shocking-quotes-from-ron-pauls-newsletters.php
9. “[Martin Luther King, Jr.], the FBI files reveal, was not only a world-class adulterer, he also seduced underage girls and boys…And we are supposed to honor this ‘Christian minister’ and lying socialist satyr with a holiday that puts him on par with George Washington?” -December 1990 Ron Paul
Since when does the FBI have any credibility? And why wasn't this trotted out sooner if there was any reason to believe it is true?
There is no proof that Dr. Martin Luther King was a child molester.
I read the complaint above about the quote below..
Which does not sound any more pompous or arrogant than the actual quote.
I do not see any way someone could say either one without sounding , both self righteous and arrogant. The fact of the matter is the man was a politician, a breed whose relevance is dependent on arrogance, I doubt this politician was any different than another , who just says whatever he thinks will get the biggest round of applause from whichever audience he is speaking to at the moment.
A politician? Really?
What makes you think he was a politician?
King was hardly a politician... He was a selfless, courageous, and brilliant tactician of civil rights who had the courage and conviction to die for his beliefs... He gave a sense of pride to a people who long lost their self-worth. It's hard to believe anyone could hate or dislike a person who would sacrifice their life for others unless they have moral issues themselves.
Sad his people have cost America so much. While I truly belive his people would be better off if they actually listened to him.
selfless????????? hmmmmmmm I dont see anyone Black or White disputing that he frequently used prostitutes or beat his wife.......... Maybe it's just me........but I dont see THAT as selfless !!
as for changing the quote, YES somebody should change it back to the orginal quote. If it cant be engraved in stone, then it should have been put on a plaque attached to the stone with his orginal quote in it's entirety. Same goes for all the other Monuments whose quotes have been altered not to mention GOD even tho it WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL SPEECH !!! Dont re write HISTORY just because SOME people don't believe in my GOD. ya know....the one our FOUNDING FATHERS BELIEVED IN....and referred to frequently !!
YES! Why in ---s' name does any one think their right not to have to see anything thats written or produced in any way that mentions or brings about the sense of religion (any religion) supercedes history and the exact quotes of those we honor with these monuments? Don't have to believe in anything (probably the biggest problem in America today) but grow up, it ain't about you!
As I said before, a quote is a quote. This is not a quote. Tell me if I am wrong.
Usually if it walks like a duck and goes quack quack quack it is a good bet it is a duck. The fact that he spent his life waddling around quacking pretty much gave him away.
How does one spell: "Tempest in a Tea Pot?"
PS: I agree he does somewhat look like chairman Mao in that particular pose, as someone else noted. Hmmm, I wonder if the people who did the work did that deliberately or perhaps unconsciously?
Well, when it comes to China, you know who controls their industry.... And who they heralded as the founder of that state of theirs... The real question was them importing Chinese labor, rather then hiering Amercians; and then making something that has some subtle semblance to their commie founder, at least in the shot of that thing, to place on the land of we the people....
Supposedly the sculpturer was the main sculpturer of the Chairman Mao statues found all over China. LOL. Really!
Who even approved this? Looks like something you'd see in the Soviet Union, lol.
Yep, his famile-children are greedy. You can't use any of his known quotes without paying a usage fee, whether in print, TV or radio. I guess they need the money. The good news. All of the US president's quotes are free to use.
Was that an original quote, or one of the hundreds he plagiarized before, during, and after he became famous?
YESSSSSS..........thank you for bringing up his skill at using other people's work....he was rather good at it, huh?
He's a Doctor, isn't he? He must be pretty good at it. Good enough to keep said doctorate even after being exposed.
BS......you know the story don't you. Google it...BU knew well and good he plagarized the work. MLK was not the saint he is shown to be. His "I Have A Dream" speech is from a sermon by a black preacher...Archibald Carey. MLK was never capable of an original idea. Ralph Abernathy even acknowledged that MLK was no saint, that he was obsessed with white prostitutes, used church funds (as a lot of pulpit pimps do) for sex parties, and was cruel to the prostitues, often beating them. BU (Boston University) did not revoke his PhD for most of the evidence came to light after his death and why kick a man, even someone with such a nasty past, when he is down, or in this case, dead.
We know it was designed by a Chinese artist-that's why the stern MLK pose on the statue looks like Chairman Mao
Guess the jokes on the King family huh?
Is this what you call Artistic License?
The King family will want a 100K consulting fee.
All of you are very little people. With very small views. Spend a few days as a black person in this country and see if your views change regarding King's efforts and methods. Perfect? No. Necessary? Yes.
The MLK monument. Perfect? No. Necessary? No.
Kazing!
tbh, I don't think that statue did a very good job in capturing King. It really does has some similarities to what one would expect of the communist "revolutionary" who took over that state, sent the Dalai Lama into exile, comitted his actions wrt the Tibetans, left the Taiwanese wanting to cede from China, etc. If we didn't know better, we could expect the North Koreans of having wanted to put that statue on US land. Except if it had the Kim Jong appearance to it, rather then the Mao appearance, it'd have to have the largish, rather unfashionable glasses....
Hit_Gurl
On target. Perfect bullseye. Those opposing this statue and quote don't remember the atrocities blacks faced while he preached peaceful demonstrations, when blacks could have just got guns and took matters in their own hands. Blacks understand better than whites, how they had to bite their lips to keep from attacking and maming caucasians. He had an aura about him that made even the hardest black person calm. He decried peaceful resolutions, rather than the killings that whites brought upon Indians, and even their own race. It's a shame there is not another MLK. Black kids need the guidance that he showed, and with life the way it is today, no black child will understand the way life is now.
try being white ina black hood and get back to me. stop with the poor me crap. your own race sold themselves into slavery via tribal warfare and just be lucky you ancestors were sold off an not killed like they were before the winners knew they could get money and guns for em. look at those wonderful "black" counties in sub-saharan africa and how great they treat one another. yeah what a great place to be right? its a cultural problem "blacks" have just like alot other destructive cultures. climb on board the future train where we live in the 21st century not the 7th
The only small view I see here is how your comparing to being black today and being black in his day. Last time I checked your free to do as you please. You can walk into any place of business, sit anywhere you like and go to the same school as anybody else. Maybe YOU should try spending a few days not playing that card and find something actually intelligent to say. Any struggle you have today isn't even close to comparable to what he was talking about. Other than that...I could care less about the statue, what it looks like or what it says.
American blacks have achieved or been given every high office in the land to include President, billioniaires club, hollywood stardom, Supreme court Justice, TV hosts, diplomatic appointments, military leadership, etc ... so why are you still whinning about how bad blacks have it now? Is there still something that you need?
Hardly. The people who built this statue, and who complained about the quote, are the little people, with little views, but big mouths. This has nothing to do with what it's like to be black in the United States. It is about fleecing taxpayers. I concur. King's family approved the inscription. It is up to them, and their own money, to change it if they do not like it.
hey carl you do realize that the "blacks" were being used by the politicians to create a permanent democrat voter right? segregation and jim crow laws were not passed by the people but by democrats. MLK got "blacks" to vote dem just by telling em to after he got his son released by then president kennedy. it was all a plan and MLK was part of it. everything someone does is a means to gain wealth and power, MLK is no different.
Swagg...do I sense a conspiracy theory arising from this? lol
lol no conspircy, my memory not that great anymore but thats what king did for the "blacks" before MLK told them to vote dem "blacks" voted republican more than dem since after the civil war. if anyone actually looked into the personal life of MLK and his family you would see the truth that he was just another politician using the people to gain power, though he himself was being used by the "whites" in the dem party so they could get the "black" vote. they did they same thing with latino vote too, not as good though. dont trust a politician either republican or dem and all in-between.
Hit-Gurl, black people in this country would not continue to have the problems they do have if they would stop blaming the current population for things that happened long before they were born. That, and stop expecting the country to pay there way. Just because one is born a certain color does not mean the rest of the world owes them a living.
What about the American Indians? Was anyone ever treated more injustly than they? Yet they do not continue to belly-ache about it and demand retribution.
boy, hit_gurl, are you and i and what did i see, carl the only real human beings on this site? has it been taken over by the klu klux klan? i haven't heard such b**tching in my life and boy this shows the real TRUE colors of the readers! I lived through that era as a teenager and i remember. he was a man of peace. while he was tormented by whites, including the police, politicians, pundits and all made a mockery of him, he never faultered in his drive to finally give the african american some dignity. nobody ever said he was perfect-that's a stupid thing to say. but, then thomas jefferson wasn't perfect either. he was an agnostic and benjamin frankin was a hedonist. jefferson had a slave for a mistress and fathered several children WHILE he was married! so what? the great people of the past were none of them perfect, but they had the courage to stand up for their beliefs and fight for them and many of them paid dearly for their faith in mankind.
i would rather sit with this man in hell than any one of you in heaven. he was a better person than all of you mainly because, he probably wouldn't be saying about you what you're saying about him. i'll bet you're all god-fearing americans, right? i'm not an african-american, just in case you want to use that argument for my opinion. in fact, i couldn't be whiter if i came from sweden. and my family history goes back over 300 years, so i'm not an immigrant, either. i'm just an american who believes that the freedoms we're always demanding belong to all of us and when someone sees roadblocks and is willing to stand up and fight for those freedoms, it makes him/her a great person, not someone to be demonized. and far as his family, how can you all be so calloused to attack this family as they try to honor their loved one? what is wrong with all of you? how would you like it if people did that to you? should we make fun of Regan because he got alzhiemer's? should we make fun of his wife and kids when they go out in public and pay homage to his memory? no, why, because he was white?
racism is alive in well in this country and it is dispicable.
Ok, just seeing if a "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas" style government conspiracy theory was on the horizon. If so, I would definitely have to stick around LOL I'm not sure of any of that. Honestly, things are what they are and I don't make it my world to look deeply into these things. Who he was or his personal agenda doesn't interest me at all (not to be rude lol). I think his overall accomplishment and what he meant to black people is what's important. My biggest problem is people comparing their "struggles" to his. I'm sorry, but from start to what I consider the finish (Obama being elected) nobody has anything to bi*** about. Racism is everywhere, it's not going anywhere, but by NOOOO means is it even comparable to back in his day and before. And the last thing I can say before heading off to more important things, is simply...who the f*** cares? They can write anything they want to on that statue and there's always going to be somebody complaining. You can't make everybody agree, so why care. Hypocritical considering I'm commenting too...but still LOL
My god......don't you black people ever give it a rest.......have you ever heard of the Trail of Tears...do you have any idea how it must have felt for those Native Americans (yes the REAL Americans...) to have everything taken from them, and be marched thousands of miles from their home, and put into camps, to try to survive under harsh circumstances. I don't see any holidays for the Native American, do you? I don't see any streets named after one Native American chief and the only monument to one is in the Dakotas and the work is being paid for by private funding. Get over it...MLK was not the father of the movement....Rose Parks was the mother of the movement..had it not been for her refusing to give up her seat on a bus that day the movement would have never been born and blowhards like MLK and the rest of the pulpit pimps would have never had the chance to jump on the band wagon. I think it is about time to give the Native American some time in the spotlight and try to make up for all the wrong we have done them.
We are all tired of hearing it...get over it...you are now and have been the pampered and privileged since slavery was abolished by many white men by direct order of Abraham Lincoln!!!! When is this ever going to stop????? By the way; Have you read your own history or was that manipulated by the evil white man as well? You're ancestors were sold by your own tribes leaders! Why are the rest of the universe having to suffer for this?
the king family approved of the statue and the inscription only to later not like it but they were paid for it. now they want it changed at a cost not on them. they are the epitome of all that is wrong and deserve no praise or respect, greedy humans. racism is just a tool used to garner power.
irate carolyn--- We do honor Native Americans. Where do you think a lot of city and state names have come from? What about certain team mascots? So when the Africans left their countries they didn't have everything taken from them? To my knowledge, the Native Americans got to keep their language while the slaves had to forget theirs. Weren't the slaves taken thousands of miles away from their home to a whole new continent on a dangerous voyage across the ocean (and not on a yacht)? And you do know that Native Americans have sovereign nations in this country and they receive healthcare from the government right? I did absolutely nothing to the Native Americans, so why should I have to right a wrong for which I had nothing to do with (isn't that the argument you people make against black people?)
As if more proof is needed that you are small, most of the negative responses to my comment have assumed that I'm black. I'm not. I'm Caucasian, and by most accounts upper middle class. You don't have to be black to object to racism, or to empathize with those who suffer at its ugly hand, or to appreciate peaceful efforts to end it, any more than you need to be Jewish to be offended by the Nazis.
The main difference between me and you - aside from intelligence and compassion - isn't color; it's that I'm not an arrogant @ss saying things online that I wouldn't say to someone in person. Keep shrinking... you're almost invisible. Just a little further to go....
racism is very much alive and well in this country. you can see it in the faces of every black person complaining about how they are being kept down by the man. well guess what, whitey is sick of hearing it, grow up, get a job, and learn to be american instead of learning to be black. the main reason there is still racism is because of minorities keep perpetuating it. the rest of us were done with it 50 years ago.
And for the tragically, blissfully unaware Sarah - yes, blacks can go anywhere, sit anywhere today. And how exactly do you think that came about? Take a moment and think about it. We'll wait.... the irony is really that much worth it....
Hit_Gurl:
Not instigating anything here, but just something I've noticed in my time on this planet: Yeah, I figured you were caucasion, and probably middle class. There's a thing called, "white guilt," and it's been plaguing our country for a couple of generations now. Yeah, what happened to black folks is bad, there is no arguing that, but it is over. Remembering the past is essential so that it is not repeated, however *dwelling* in the past ensures that the old wounds never heal and common ground is never acknowledged.
For example, I have both native blood, and Irish blood. The English committed some absolute atrocities against the Irish a few centuries back, and the Spaniards (think Manifest Destiny) obliterated cultures in South America. Fast forward a few centuries, the, "white," man committed atrocities against natives of North America. Mormons, in the 1800's killed several thousand Irish settlers in Utah (look it up). Irish immigrants in the 1800's were treated horribly by just about everyone (look up, "Potato People").
Point being, people do bad things to other people. But punishment should come to those who committed the act, not the generations that follow. I don't hate, "whites," (being half native would be an experience in self loathing, I'm sure). I don't hate Spaniards. I don't hate the English. I don't hate Mormons. These groups have done nothing to me--their ancestors may have done some nasty things to mine (please don't think my ancestors are in any way shape or form guiltess parties), but I did not experience them. Through dialog, through human understanding, through *effort*, people can put differences aside, so as long as *each* party tries.
Some people are racist, yes. Others, like myself, are simply tired of the, "white guilt," card being played over and over and over and over... We are people, all of us. We all have differences. The only way forward is to put the past behind.
Hey Swagg, from your post 19.5 "look at those wonderful "black" counties in sub-saharan africa and how great they treat one another. yeah what a great place to be right? its a cultural problem "blacks" have just like alot other destructive cultures. climb on board the future train where we live in the 21st century not the 7th".
And just which "Superior" white cultures would you like to compare them with? The ones that committed the Holoucast in WWII? The ones that committed the Armenian Genocide of the early 20th century? The ones that killed off vast numbers of the indigeneous populations of North and South America over the last 500 years? And that's just the deliberate genocides, how about the wars? Yeah, white culture is obviously so superior.
And yes I am white.
Wraith
I generally like and agree with your post, I am a true mutt but with a large amount of Irish blood and very small amount of Native American.
However posters like Swagg whom I quote and respond to just after your post illustrate why this isn't behind us yet.
And look at the news coverage last year of "missing children", compare the headlines and time given to missing white children versus missing black children, it is glaringly disproportionate.
We aren' t there yet.
No, Irene, you are correct. But, as I see it, it is due to *both* sides that progress has been so slow in coming.
Nice rationalization, Wraith. But taking lazy liberties in interpreting my comments, and then arguing the other side of your incorrect interpretation is a good way to pass time, I suppose, but pointless. The source of my comments is not "white guilt". And I'm certainly not blaming "future generations"> There are blatantly racist comments in this thread, and I simply described them as such. Try not to read too much into it, because to extrapolate that to "white guilt" says that you're actually the one suffering from it.
I have no guilt, white or otherwise. I committed no acts of racism and don't justify it or rationalize its ongoing existence as many above have done. I feel no guilt over Blacks being treated poorly, nor any guilt about Jews being killed by Nazis (only sorrow). Why should I feel "guilt"? On behalf of my fellow whites? Really? Sorry, I don't take credit for other people's success, nor do I take on guilt for other people's atrocities.
I simply believe that racism is tragically wrong, and my comments are sourced in compassion, not guilt. Why it's so difficult for people here to appreciate that sentiment is a reflection, as others have said here, that racism is indeed alive in America; just a little more latent because there's a greater social stigma associated with it today than in the past.
I'm glad that you have an informed awareness of many examples of racism throughout history, many of which are quite recent. It simply reinforces my argument that racism is likely to still exist - it's mainstay throughout history. No reason to think it's suddenly gone. So thank for the assist. Now, we either acknowledge it and work to improve, or bury our heads in the sand (or what you refer to as "put it behind us") in order to assuage your guilt. But you can't put it behind you when people keep putting it in front of you....
Got to agree with Wraith- My racial background is Irish and American Indian along with a bit of swedish. So two-thirds of my ancestors were definetely the targets of racismn and slavery and hate. But guess what? I'm an American first and foremost and not asking to have my misdeeds excused due to past "crimes" against my ancestors!
Is it just me or my computer screen, but in the photo, doesn't it look like Mr. King ate maybe one too many Twinkies?
Well, the statue was made in China, after all.
kind of looks like Han Solo frozen in carbonite...
the quote is perfectly fine in its abbreviated form. MLK argued from his one-sided pulpit on the side of human rights and dignity. what r people complaining about?!
Where did all these arrogant, self righteous, racist posts come from. Martin Luther King was a visionary. The rantings of blowhard politicos with agendas could not and cannot change that.
The text on the monument only vaguely resembles what King actually said and completely misses the point. Contrary to remarks posted here, Mr. King never approved of the inscription. It is likely he would not have approved of the memorial.
The judge is right. It needs to be changed or removed altogether.
If you get right down to it and read between the lines, most of these posts are agreeing with the fact that the monument should not have gone up and the quote should not be there either. MLK did some great things but the whole fiasco of this monument is nothing but a means to appease his arrogant family. I have a dream also...I could start a movement as well...if I didn't have to work to support my family in this economy. Make me a statue?
What I don't exactly like, is how the Chinese company (which really isn't a private company, following their economic model over there), got approval to build the thing, made it look like the founder of their current state, left an inscription which by some accounts was an out of context quote; and we the tax payer gets to clean the matter up, at our expense.
But then this is another win for China, because when all is said and done, we all know that this deficit spending is supported via the extention of credit from China to the US. And as such they get to lend us the money, at interest, to go and fix the job they did, with their own labor (as they wouldn't hier locals along the way). Financially speaking, China wins on all fronts, and the American people lose. Essentially we get to pay them interest, to clean up the inscription on their statue, who's construction and everything used their labor (aka put their people to work, not ours).
Now the question is, if King were alive, would he have wanted a statue of him, which makes him look a bit like the founder of the current Chinese state, that was built for, and installed with imported Chinese labor; even while the people of THIS COUNTRY are facing high unemployment? And then for the American tax payer to have to pay to fix an inscription which the above mentioned put on there, through funds lent by China, which the same US tax payer (which with the tax burdens what they are we know to be mostly the working class in this country) footing the interest payments on the debt which would be incured by our gov't to fix it? Somehow, I don't think so, and on many fronts. Starting with why we're endebting ourselves to the people who built it, while our own families are struggling through economic hard times here at home.
Yeah, I don't disagree with the judge on the one hand, but on the other hand looking at the money situation alone, the entire monetary deal on both ends is not in our favor. Guess who will get to make money, as the gov't here borrows the money, to pay for the fix, then has to pay interest on it? The people from the same country who built it, and then used their own laborers, rather then ours, to put it on our land.
How about just " I have a dream..." will stand the test of time
So write a book and have it published. Ask the other posters to pitch in for the printing and distribution costs. Problem solved.
How about this...where ever they build a Reagan Memorial we will have "We start Bombing in 5 Minutes" on the side.
Hey he said it
What? Out of context can mislead you?
Shocking
sigh... I have to agree CommonSense. You are right about the quotation. Beyond the quotation, the monument itself is extremely unattractive aside from its rude and crude design. It does not, as I see it, honor Rev. King.
Frankly, I have further questions ...
1. The frowning antagonistic expression on MLK's face is, in my opinion very unflattering to him, and would be to anyone else we'd want to honor. It doesn't express in any way the image that Rev. King was preaching.
2. The arms-crossed stance is the epitome of arrogant defiance; surely that is not the message to be inferred by the country which some may say ... possibly with venom ... that America deserves to be defied.
I could agree, perhaps, if King were a hero in the American Civil War. He wasn't. Almost a century later, he espoused civil rights by advocating non-violent persuasion; he was, in fact, an adherent of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings and his own fundamentalist religious convictions.
3. Martin Luther King was proud of his Black heritage. A totally different expression, even an inspired smile, would be far superior on the sculpted portrait. There are many more attractive pictures of him even in the public domain which lend credence to his dynamic, caring personality.
And because he was an American Black (forget the "African-American" politically incorrect term, which just as easily could have referred to a plethora of European, Middle East, even Far East ancestors). He chose to be called Black and he was a citizen of the United States.
4. To honor the heritage of Martin Luther King, would not the sculpture of his face and hands be more attractive in an ebony wood, or even a dark bronze, rather than a light gray? Ebony is one of the hardest woods in the world yet friendly to carving. The African ebony is one of the finest...and in more ways than one.
5. The two enormous almost shapeless Chinese granite mounds, poised behind the separate dabble of granite upon which Rev. King's statue is placed, are named the "Mountain of Despair," while King's fragmented surround upon which his 30-foot tall figure stands is called the "Stone of Hope."
The so-called "Asian lid" seems more prominent than his pictures and the total absence of his frequent smile is noticeable. King's memorial, opened last August in the National Mall, Washington, D.C., is the only memorial there that does not honor a president or fallen soldier. Under no circumstances should Mr. Obama's administration give a citizen, memorialized for his religious beliefs, Federal funding for a debatable request.
Shall we start using federal funds memorializing famous Irish priests who defended the Irish economic slavery of the 19th Century? The rabbis who helped Jews survive persecution when they came here to flee Hitler's Fascist treatment in the 1930s?
This is not an appropriate expense for a national budget with indebtedness in the trad-trillions let alone a prominent religious figure. Whatever possessed the American powers-that-be to utilize Chinese workers to build the statue ? At a time when our own unemployment was escalating to 14,000,000? There are gifted American artists and sculptors who are citizens and for generations in tune with our culture here, who should have been given the work. And now our federal government is proposing to pay for a "fix"?
What a fiasco the whole thing is. From all viewpoints.
What should really be changed is the inscription on the other side that says "Made in China"!
At least it will last longer than if it was "Made in Detroit".
The statue really does look like one of those Chinese terra cotta warriors. And it makes King, an average-sized man in real life, look like he weighed 300 pounds.
Actually,it was his Father,Martin Luther King Senior,who looked like he weighed about 300 pounds.
I guess it was better,for MLK Junior,to say: "he was a drum major"instead of a "drum majorette??"
Guess I don't REALLY give a rats arse...
I'm enjoying the Fedaul day off... an the jewish olidays my employer observes (state of NY). Before you know it... we might even restore Washington and Lincolns birthdays to their respective days. Or maybe we should lobby for "Activists Day" and package MLK birthday with others ike Harriett Tubman, Susan B Anthony, etc. I mean... come on....!!!
Sorry, my spell checker is running amok....
Guess I don't REALLY give a rats arse...
I'm enjoying the Federal day off... and the jewish holidays my employer observes (state of NY). Before you know it... we might even restore Washington and Lincolns birthdays to their respective days like we used to. Or maybe we should lobby for "Activists Day" and package MLK birthday with others like Harriett Tubman, Susan B Anthony, etc.
We have Presidents Day.... why not Activists Day?