posted on January 20, 2004 09:55:08 PM new
I know Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday is over with and we're all supposed to forget about him, his dream -- The Dream he had for ALL of us -- for another twelve months but this year I just can't. Maybe it's because I recently saw candid photos of him playing with his kids; pitching a baseball to one, cradling another in his arms, dining with all four of them. I'm old enough now to understand aspects of his death I couldn't comprehend when it happened; yes, I'd known that the Civil Rights Movement had lost its most compassionate voice; yes, I'd realized a true leader had been struck down; but back then, it hadn't hit me the way it did later that a father was taken from his children; a husband from a wife...
So I made it my business this month to read as much as I could about Martin Luther King, Jr.; I wanted to meet the man I never met -- the Dad, the friend, the husband. Inevitably, I had to meet his death, too, and wade through the all-too-familiar territory of "lone-nutters" versus conspiracists. (Every assassination of a major public/political figure in the 1960's, particularly, has engendered a set of each.)
What I hadn't expected to find was a cleverly-brought civil suit against a willing fall-guy whom King's family pled against in open court in Tennessee. The King family spent decades investigating Dr. King's assassination because they knew that once James Earl Ray had plead guilty (thus avoiding any public trial where evidence would have to be entered and subjected to scrutiny and contradiction) there would never be any meaningful quest for the truth -- or justice -- so they "went after" Loyd Jowers, a white racist who in 1968 was the owner of an establishment called "Jim's Grill", which backed onto a vacant overgrown lot that faced the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was gunned down.
This civil suit, brought in 1999, made a brief appearance in the media at the time, but nowhere near the splash it should have done, for testimony was given that absolutely pointed to (at least) police involvement in Dr. King's assassination, and went on to prove Ray's involvement as a mere patsy. The sham of the 1977/78 House Select Committee on Assassinations hearings was also brought to light.
But no one reported much of anything about what was now a matter of public record. Our media has routinely glommed onto crimes such as those O.J. Simpson was acquitted of, calling them The Trial of the Century, when in fact they're nothing more than the hideous results of an abusive marriage. REAL Crimes of the Century have had to climb through the rear windows of our justice system just to get a few facts entered into evidence, creating a slim public record of (often) alarming details that almost no one will ever read. [The Clay Shaw trial, The Liberty Lobby libel suit, and lately, the wrongful death civil suit brought by the Kings.]
I hope each of you who hasn't already done so will find it worthwhile to spend a few hours reading some REAL news; the following is a link to the complete trial transcript of the case brought before Judge James E. Swearengen in the matter of:
CORETTA SCOTT KING, MARTIN LUTHER KING, III, BERNICE KING, DEXTER SCOTT KING and YOLANDA KING,
Plaintiffs,
Vs. Case No. 97242-4 T.D.
LOYD JOWERS and OTHER UNKNOWN CO-CONSPIRATORS,
Defendants.
posted on January 21, 2004 05:14:49 AM new
Men in high places.
Certain truths will always be known and unclaimed (does kinda sound like a line from the x-files) but the fairytale, wrapped-up-neat-endings, twelve, is that it is just much 'easier' to accept what is presented and move on.
I guess when they were injecting gonorrhea and syphilis into people in the 40ties that was a fairy tale, too?
posted on January 21, 2004 07:50:12 AM new
Twelvepole,
Among the overwhelming number of attributes that determine any individuals character, you and your right wing conservative buddies choose instead to focus on sex. It makes me wonder if you are all virgins.
posted on January 21, 2004 08:46:12 AM new
Helen as usual you are incorrect. Its not about sex, it's about lying about the adulterous behavior. Apparently it's a trait passed down from King to his faithful follower Jesse Jackson. And to your hero the LYIN KING CLINTON
"If you believe you can tell me what to think, I believe I can tell you where to go. Not all of us are sheep....."
posted on January 21, 2004 10:00:09 AM newWell Helen, just shows how low your morals are. Typical for you libs. If King had been such a great person he would have obeyed the 7th Commandmant "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
"If you believe you can tell me what to think, I believe I can tell you where to go. Not all of us are sheep....."
posted on January 21, 2004 10:29:20 AM new
Bear, surely you jest?
Almost every politician who could get a little something-something (haha...ala Chris Rock)- did! Be they republican or democrat. Are you totally unaware of that segment of most of our political leaders history?
This man, King, stood up at a time where no other black man could have; would have - and found the courage to spark a movement that a compelled both blacks and whites to look at some hard truths and move our country forward -- and your entire focus of him is he succumbed to temptation and committed adultery????
posted on January 21, 2004 11:21:17 AM new
And some of King's academic writings were plagiarized...
So, I gather from the brilliant comments above that some of you measure men (and women? ) by their sexual activity, because you believe it "says" something about their character, more loudly than any other aspects of their character or what they produce/create/inspire outside the bedroom?
And you accuse me of living a fairy tale???
You'd be amusing buffoons but for your right to vote...
posted on January 21, 2004 12:39:12 PM new
This argument is humorous. If one were to discount men's deeds and effect on the world because of sexual affairs, 95% of the great men throughout history would have tobe discarded. Including quite a few of our "founding fathers" and Presidents (both Republican and Democrat). Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on January 21, 2004 12:50:44 PM new
Twelvepole, your inability to connect the dots, as in A to B to C, would alarm me if I thought your condition contagious. As it is, though, I'm now certain of two things:
1) No one will ever make a "thinking man" out of you
2) You'll never make an idiot of me
Edited because I made a wretched error which, however, had nothing to do with the overall content of my post...
[ edited by plsmith on Jan 21, 2004 08:06 PM ]
posted on January 21, 2004 04:42:49 PM new"Something you obviously haven't experienxed, Helen."
You stand so elevated among the people here, Bear with your ability to intelligently discuss topics rather than spend your days sitting on the sidelines taking pot shots at other posters. I'm so impressed with your brilliant analysis of the problems that we face and your superior ability to discuss those good ideas with such clairity of expression. And, thank you too, for taking the time to post such interesting e-mails and exceedingly informative stories from Fox news. Sometimes you even post for our clarification relevant graphics such as the one in this thread which says, "Politically Incorrect and Proud of It".
Each one of us stands in awe of you, Bear. You and you alone have no need to squat on anyone in order to establish your superiority.
posted on January 21, 2004 04:48:19 PM new (On the other hand, Helen, what would we do without the likes of Bear and Twelve and Austy to prove that we "liberals" have the upper hand -- in everything from spelling to ideals?)
posted on January 21, 2004 08:09:58 PM new
Or perhaps, Twelvepole, because neither you nor Bear have ever stretched your minds beyond soundbites. Really, go read the trial transcript linked above, then come back and attempt to have an intelligent discussion on topic.
PL, get a grip on reality. The fantasy world you live in doesn't really exist.
"If you believe you can tell me what to think, I believe I can tell you where to go. Not all of us are sheep....."
[ edited by Bear1949 on Jan 21, 2004 08:47 PM ]
posted on January 21, 2004 10:14:53 PM new
Oh, my, yes, we've come so far...
Jan. 21, 2004 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Officials disciplined students who papered their nearly all-white high school with posters advocating a white student from South Africa for the school's "Distinguished African American Student Award."
Peggy Rupprecht, spokeswoman for the Westside Community Schools district, said administrators at Westside High School discovered more than a hundred of the posters throughout the school first thing Monday - Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"The content of the posters, they believed, was inappropriate and insensitive to some members of our school community," Rupprecht said.
Citing privacy policies, Rupprecht said she could not specify what the penalties were or how many students were disciplined. But the mother of the boy pictured on the posters said he was suspended for two days.
The award has been given the last eight years to an outstanding black student as part of the school's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, she said.
The poster pictured junior Trevor Richards, 16, smiling and making a thumbs up sign. A message at the top encouraged votes for him for next year's award.
Karen Richards said her son and his friends were not trying to hurt anyone.
"My son is not a racist," she told the Omaha World-Herald. "He has black friends, friends from Bangladesh and Egypt. Color has never been an issue in our home."
"It was a very innocent thing," she said.
Two of her son's friends were disciplined along with him, she said. A fourth student was punished for circulating a petition Tuesday criticizing the practice of recognizing only black student achievement with the award, she said.
Tylena Martin, a junior, said the poster had been on the door to her homeroom class where she is the only black student. She said she felt hurt by the posters and the backlash that ensued.
According to 2002-2003 state statistics, 56 Of Westside's 1,632 students are black.
posted on January 22, 2004 02:45:36 AM new
Lets see we have students who rightfully want to elect an African-American and now can't because this African-American is WHITE!
Yes we have come so far as to now discriminate the other way...
Look at an Atlas there sweetheart... South Africa is part of Africa and anyone from Africa is African-American... ooooh kills you liberals doesn't it...
Political Correctness is going to tear this country apart.... then the real fun will start.
