In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 16th is the day Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered in the United States. Regardless of your opinion of the man, there can be no doubt he changed the world we live in. With that said:

I HAVE A DREAM



[edit on 14-1-2007 by mrwupy]

Thanks for posting this.
Nice piece.
He was one of the greatest men of our time.
Can only what the world might have been like had he lived longer.

Yeah, he was a great man. To keep your convictions in the face of overwhelming aggression is a extremely difficult thing to do.
The fight he started still hasn't ended, and we should remember this on his day.

Just wanted to share with you some Martin Luther King Jr. quotes that are so relevant to America's current situation: All provided by: en.wikiquote.org...

Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated.
- Stride Toward Freedom: the Montgomery Story (1958)

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.... The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
- "Strength to Love" (1963)

On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.
- Address at SCLC Ministers Leadership Training Program.

When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews, You are talking anti-Semitism.
- Seymour Martin Lipset. "The Socialism of Fools: The Left, the Jews and Israel", Encounter magazine, December, 1969, p. 24. from a 1968 appearance at Harvard

How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts the human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority.
- Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)

Amazing man. Too many to place here, I suggest everyone go to the above mentioned link and read them with reverence.

Woops! I just noticed I put the wrong date in the original post. Sorry about that folks.

It's actually January 15th that we pay respect.

I always wondered what MLK would think about the progress we made regarding Civil Rights.

I think he would be very happy about how far his Civil Rights movement has come.

If MLK had a chance to talk to black Republicans like Condi Rice, Clarence Thomas, Lynn Swann, JC Watts, Michael Steele, then turned around and talked to black Democrats like Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Cynthia McKinney, John Conyers, William Jefferson. I have no doubt in my mind that he would become a Republican.

BTW...It's pretty sad that a National Holiday like MLK day only has 1 thread and only 5 posts. Just my opionion?







[edit on 15-1-2007 by RRconservative]

I will never forget the first time I heard the "I have a dream" speech. It was 1991. I was attending an inner city elementary school, which to this day remains the most fondly remembered school I have ever been to, and the one which housed some of the happiest and most important memories of my life. I was still young enough that I didn't know what race was. My classmates were my classmates; my friends were my friends; people were all just people. It was fifth grade; my last year there. In February - black history month - our teacher took out an old phonograph player and a record with that famous and pivotal speech on it. We listened to it, and initially I was confused because I hadn't yet grasped the concept of race. I found myself thinking, "What’s a black person or a white person?" I was literally still that innocent. Soon I would understand.

Just a few weeks after that, with his noble words still freshly emblazoned upon my mind, the Rodney King beating occurred and riots broke out. They occurred chiefly in LA, but affected my town (San Francisco) to a limited extent as well. During the height of the riots, the same teacher took my class aside at the end of the day, and played the record again. I'm not sure why, except that I imagine she wanted to project something positive and hopeful to us in our last year before starting Middle School (aka junior high) in the face of such sad times. When the speech had finished, she asked us to join hands, and we all sang a song she had taught us during the previous month: we shall overcome. At its conclusion, I noticed she was in tears, and after class I asked her if she was alright. Her reply was, "I don't want to die, and I don't want any of you to die either."

This single exchange ensured that for the rest of my life, people would always remain people, and that I would always be able to ask myself, "What's a black person? What’s a white person?" People would always be people. People may not like me to see them as just another human being, but because of those formative experiences, I always will. That one part of me will never age a day.

If nothing else, for me, that is Dr. King's legacy: that in the face of racism and darkness, his words can inspire humanity and unity, and ensure that a child will grow up without the taint of racism in their heart.

MLK was a smart man
... to smart to be a Democrat

Just joking... just joking.


But on a more serious note, Martin Luther King should be recognized as a hero by all - not just African Americans. He freed ALL people from oppression and gave ALL people the rights and dignity they deserved.

Happy Martin Luther Kings day.

Originally posted by RRconservative

BTW...It's pretty sad that a National Holiday like MLK day only has 1 thread and only 5 posts. Just my opionion?

Totally agree with you. It's sad that Martin Luther King, one of the most prominent figures in all of American history just has 8 posts while threads like 'Strange Creature in my Bedroom' has twice that.

Just makes you realize the priorities of the community on ATS

Bump for extreme relevance. There, I've done my part. I'm going to bed.

I'll bump it one last time as well. Now it's my turn to head off to the sack.

Good night my friends on ATS and thank you, MLK Jr.

"Martin Luther" King

yup, a true American hero....right up there with Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Prescott Bush and Lyndon Johnson.


we should all be so great.


/sarcasm

Originally posted by SimiusDei
"Martin Luther" King

yup, a true American hero....right up there with Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Prescott Bush and Lyndon Johnson.


we should all be so great.


/sarcasm

Dr. King was a great man. He did change the US, and did it peacefully. He never wavered from his dream, and died pursuing it. To put him in the same tier as the others you mentioned is simply not right. (No sarcasm here.)

Originally posted by SimiusDei
"Martin Luther" King

yup, a true American hero....right up there with Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Prescott Bush and Lyndon Johnson.


we should all be so great.


/sarcasm

Wow, a post critical of Dr. King with a reference to a site that has stuff like this on it...

www.revilo-oliver.com...

What a surprise. At least I know why those white supremacy web sites get hits...

reply to post by truthseeka


I personally would give more respect to Malcolm X than Michael King anyday. King hurt his people far more than he ever helped them. But hey, that's just my opinion. He was in it for the name and the money, not unlike Jesse Jackson and Al "the poet". Not to mention the sweet *** he got during his time as an "activist".

If you want to talk about people that truly helped the black man's struggle for equality (which I am all for by the way.....), talk Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Sherman Helmsley and others that brought a black face into American homes on a constant basis. Just this small example of black entertainers did more for the black cause than Michael King EVER did.



Jasn

EDIT: Just as a side note, Truthseeka, you have very little room to talk when it comes to bashing ANY "supremacist" movement. If there ever was a black supremacist on this forum, I would have to put you at the top of that list. You couldn't be more obviously opposed to white people than you are.

While white supremacists are a sad reality, please don't lump me in with them. They are as pathetic and aggravating as they come. I would say that white supremacists have done as much to hurt my race as Michael King did to hurt yours. They are a sad, disgusting bunch that seem to believe that black people (and pretty much anyone else who isn't their type of white person) getting equality has set the world back and will be the downfall of us all. Where I, on the other hand, am all for equality. I would be just as happy to call a black man neighbor as I would any white person so long as that black man had self respect. As a matter of fact, I do in fact call a black man neighbor to my left and a WONDERFUL black woman neighbor on my right. For some reason, that whole concept doesn't seem to bother me at all and I have never had a problem with either of them and don't forsee myself EVER having a problem with either of them. As a matter of fact, my 56 year old neighbor to the left HATES Michael King. Isn't it ironic? don't ya think? No actually it's not, he's just denying ignorance.


Jasn

[edit on 26-8-2007 by SimiusDei]

Originally posted by k4rupt
He freed ALL people from oppression and gave ALL people the rights and dignity they deserved.

That's what his intentions were I believe, but oddly I think the main ones he got through to were the whites.

He poured his heart out trying to get his very admirable message through to the world and especially to black people, but unfortunately I think a lot of blacks really failed to grasp what the man was killing himself trying to say.

Even now there is still a lot of bias and hatred around, and so much of it is blacks hating on whites and blacks hating on their own kind. Hate was not part of MLK's message and it is sad to see so many blacks are still filled with it so much.

Many of the same blacks who mention MLK and have his picture on their wall, have never understood the man's true message. I don't think MLK would be proud of a lot of what he'd see in the black community if he were still here today.

Hopefully one day everyone will "get it" but sadly I think that day is still a long ways off, the seeds MLK planted still haven't really sprouted even after all these years.

Any black person can hang a picture of MLK on their wall and say they respect him, but very few seem to understand his message or accept it. The "opression" of the black people, is now caused by the black people. No one is keeping them down anymore but themselves. Hopefully some day they'll understand this...