MLK Day and the White community

[reverend B]

monday celebrates the life of a man who changed the complexion of our country forever, in more ways than one. people of color came out of the shadows and became participating members in the american debate. with his strength through peace, he defeated the enemy by accepting his blows, much like our savior did. though he had personal flaws and weaknesses, he had a dramatic impact on what this country would become, and in my opinion deserves the honor we bestow upon him this Jan. 16.
i live in north carolina. i work among the rank and file people of our country. i am not in an ivory tower. i work among the working class folks, trying to make each paycheck last until the next. i am white.
in the last week i have heard monday called "n***er" day, had a retired gentleman make a joke about our heart rehab session being cancelled (it was not), and people laugh about having the day off or not being able to do their banking. i have yet to run into a white person down here that is proud that we are taking a breath in the middle of our busy lives to honor this man of peace. i have not heard it mentioned among the white Christians or prominently mentioned on the signage in front of churches. what is it like where you live folks? what does the unspoken america look like?

 

[kalel29]

I know here we are having a breakfast lucheon and a guest speaker at the chow hall to celebrate the important contributions that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made in the way of Civil Rights. As for the rest of Hawaii, I think there is a plethora of events going on around here, but I don't know the specifics.

 

[EverlastingMan]

The church my parents take me too is pretty good about that kinda stuff.

 

[MachZer0]

I find it odd that we have a holiday for a man who plagiarized papers and speeches, consorted with prostitutes and anti-american communists two of our greatest presidents have to share a single day.

 

[EverlastingMan]

Oh pipe down history always hides the eivl of good men. And he was good he did something that no one else could.

 

[kalel29]

I find it odd that we have a holiday for a man who plagiarized papers and speeches, consorted with prostitutes and anti-american communists two of our greatest presidents have to share a single day.

C'mon now, at least have some respect for the guy. He at least led a movement that helped disparge racist segregation and the country is better for it. Without his contributions, Colin Powell would have never been Sec. of State, nor would Condi Rice.

 

[reverend B]

I find it odd that we have a holiday for a man who plagiarized papers and speeches, consorted with prostitutes and anti-american communists two of our greatest presidents have to share a single day.

i seem to remember another guy who hung out with prostitutes and other undesirables that i use to think alot of. who was that? who was that? oh wait..........I REMEMBER!
you may want to look back also at the sins that st. augustine was guilty of by his own admission. some of the heroes of the faith did not start out that way. what about saul, reborn as paul? he had a nasty past. but what did they do FOR the kingdom. that is what they are remembered for, as should be mlk.

 

[EverlastingMan]

Umm yeah well he didn't use them... But yes good point.

 

[variant]

I find it odd that we have a holiday for a man who plagiarized papers and speeches, consorted with prostitutes and anti-american communists two of our greatest presidents have to share a single day.

While I agree that our greatest presidents should have their own day, but that is no reason to disparage MLK Jr.



MLK Jr. is one of the few people we have to remember that represents the Civil Rights movement, and the turbulent strides made at that time. It’s not something we should forget as a country.



I sincerely hope that if you ever do something noteworthy, that people do not treat you in the same way you have presented here, by picking out only the bad in a person and ignoring the accomplishments. For the most part each and every person has a checkered past.

 

[MachZer0]

i seem to remember another guy who hung out with prostitutes and other undesirables that i use to think alot of. who was that? who was that? oh wait..........I REMEMBER!

I was trying to be polite when I said he consorted. Jesus, as you recall, did not pay for the services of the prostitutes with whom he associated. I should also remind you that the holiday held on Jesus' birthday is being taken away and attributed to other reasons rather than for His birthday

you may want to look back also at the sins that st. augustine was guilty of by his own admission. some of the heroes of the faith did not start out that way. what about saul, reborn as paul? he had a nasty past. but what did they do FOR the kingdom. that is what they are remembered for, as should be mlk.

And which of them do we honor with a holiday?

 

[MachZer0]

While I agree that our greatest presidents should have their own day, but that is no reason to disparage MLK Jr.



MLK Jr. is one of the few people we have to remember that represents the Civil Rights movement, and the turbulent strides made at that time. It’s not something we should forget as a country.



I sincerely hope that if you ever do something noteworthy, that people do not treat you in the same way you have presented here, by picking out only the bad in a person and ignoring the accomplishments. For the most part each and every person has a checkered past.

Not everyone sees MLK jr in the same light

 

[variant]

Not everyone sees MLK jr in the same light

These people are probably the same that made the Civil Rights movement necessary.

 

[MachZer0]

These people are probably the same that made the Civil Rights movement necessary.

Not necessarily. Just people with a higher moral standard than MLK jr I suppose

 

[variant]

Not necessarily. Just people with a higher moral standard than MLK jr I suppose

Your claim of moral superiority is noted.

 

[JustOneWay]

what is it like where you live folks? what does the unspoken america look like?

Attitudes about MLK and a holiday vary depending on the area of the country. It is no wonder that attitudes in NC are disrespectful. I imagine it is the same throughout the south.

We had major issues with instituting MLK day in my state. Our governor repealed the holiday, then U2 refused to stop here. Our loss.

I dont care one way or another on the issue. We celebrated Columbus Day, but switched to MLK Day. Columbus had a checkered past as well. It is a holiday either way.

The American blacks deserve to have heros that are recognized nationally. They are every bit a part of this country as whites. MLK tried to make life better for his race and he wasn't a perfect human, like all of ushe helped make this country change for the better.

 

[reverend B]

I was trying to be polite when I said he consorted. Jesus, as you recall, did not pay for the services of the prostitutes with whom he associated. I should also remind you that the holiday held on Jesus' birthday is being taken away and attributed to other reasons rather than for His birthday

And which of them do we honor with a holiday?

machzero,
the grinch story is fiction. they aren't really cancelling christmas. LOL!
the bill o'reilly thread is just down the list.
perhaps Jesus did not, but augustine made mlk look like a piker. the holiday is for what these people did for this country. paul and augustine had a more global influence than they did american, don't you think? do you not find what mlk did influential? enormously so?
what is more at issue for me is the white community showing their true colors when people of color are not present. they are doing it all around me constantly, thinking that since i am white i am an ally. disparagement is non-stop. at least machzero has taken his distaste for the man public. though it still creeps me out, at least it is not clandestine. his cards are on the table where people can see them, and at least so far his argument does not include race, though i admit my race radar is activated. but race is the issue where i am, and it makes me cringe every time someone expects me to support them in finding the holiday a joke. i don't. he fought one of the most determined sicknesses in man, and he never resorted to anything but love in fighting it. how many of us would have chosen that high road were the roles reversed?

 

[Mailman Dan]

he defeated the enemy by accepting his blows, much like our savior did.

I don't believe he was that much like Jesus, and can easlly seperate between God and man. MLK took punishment for a long over do movement, Jesus took OUR punishment of death on Himself.



People who stand up are always going to get hit by something from those who don't like you. It still happens today, reguardless of what beliefs or race you are. I know of several preachers that have gone to jail for open air preaching in public places.

The world will never be prefect until the only Perfect One returns to fix our hate of eachother.

Dan~~~>wished Powell would have run for president

 

[MachZer0]

machzero,
the grinch story is fiction. they aren't really cancelling christmas. LOL!
the bill o'reilly thread is just down the list.
perhaps Jesus did not, but augustine made mlk look like a piker. the holiday is for what these people did for this country. paul and augustine had a more global influence than they did american, don't you think?

Do we have holidays to celebrate their birthdays.

do you not find what mlk did influential? enormously so?

Not really. I see him as an opportunist. What happened in the civil rights movement most likely would have happened without his presence, possibly even sooner and with less violence.

 

[reverend B]

why should mlk only be a hero to the blacks? he made white america confront its own cancer. we should cheer him for that, in his effect on us.
in virginia, they found the day so distasteful, the conjoined it with celebrating robert e. lee and stonewall jackson's birthdays, renaming it lee/jackson/king day. does anyone else share the outrage over that that i do? to attach him to two confederate icons seems like the most obvious back handed slap to the black community that i can imagine.
bigotry is alive and well. stay ever vigilant, people. hebrew or samaritan, we are all Gods chosen.

 

[reverend B]

Do we have holidays to celebrate their birthdays.

Not really. I see him as an opportunist. What happened in the civil rights movement most likely would have happened without his presence, possibly even sooner and with less violence.

study your history. mlk had a major influence in keeping the black panthers from being the major instrument of change in the civil rights movement. he held them off for a decade, and that made all the difference. violence was the modus operandi for the panthers.
i was addressing the holiday thing when i mentioned that augustine and paul were not so much american icons as global ones. sorry i wasn't clear.