MLK day

[Gunny]

Hold the presses!




http://www.usps.com/communications/n...pscalendar.htm

and

http://www.opm.gov/fedhol/2007.asp

That's just wrong. I never got Columbus Day off in the Marines, and I damned-sure don't now.

I stand corrected. And I don't think there should be a holiday named after him either.

[Pale Rider]

Maybe I can explain it a bit. Martin Luther King, Jr. did more to advance the cause of human rights and civil liberties than any individual... well, ever, as far as I can see. He did it peacefully and prayerfully and was murdered for it by people who hated his cause. His having a national holiday is a promise of equality and a recognition of greatness and also of the fact that black people have achieved equal (or somewhat equal) status. We have a holiday to honor Christopher Columbus who did terrible, vile things, yet no one questions that. There are holidays honoring all other kinds of things and no one questions them. Yet, when it comes to Martin Luther King, Jr., suddenly there's all this talk about whether a holiday is justified. That can only be for one reason, and that's the color of his skin and the cause he stood for. I don't think it's intentional on the part of the people questioning, since I think, for most, it is well-intentioned, or they believe it is. It is sad, though.

I hope that says it in a nutshell.

I just think you heap more praise on him than he deserves.

[Gunny]

I just think you heap more praise on him than he deserves.

I think you're just displaying your latent racist qualities.

[jillian]

I just think you heap more praise on him than he deserves.

I understand that. But imagine being black in this country and feeling that even the best among you couldn't get that type of recognition. The thing about Martin Luther King is that no one since has articulated his cause as well. If it weren't for him, maybe people like LBJ wouldn't have felt shamed by the status quo that existed at the time. Maybe if he were still alive charletans and pretenders like Al Sharpton wouldn't have a voice.

[Gunny]

I understand that. But imagine being black in this country and feeling that even the best among you couldn't get that type of recognition. The thing about Martin Luther King is that no one since has articulated his cause as well. If it weren't for him, maybe people like LBJ wouldn't have felt shamed by the status quo that existed at the time. Maybe if he were still alive charletans and pretenders like Al Sharpton wouldn't have a voice.

Perhaps people such as Kennedy and LBJ were not mitivated by same and more motivated by doing the right thing?

[jillian]

Perhaps people such as Kennedy and LBJ were not mitivated by same and more motivated by doing the right thing?

I absolutely believe they were trying to do the right thing, particularly LBJ on that issue. But that doesn't diminish King's contributions.

[Gunny]

I absolutely believe they were trying to do the right thing, particularly LBJ on that issue. But that doesn't diminish King's contributions.

I don't think anyone here is trying to diminish his contributions. His contributions are what they are. Trying to diminish OR exaggerate them in any way only does disservice to who and what he actually was. IMO, his accomplishments are greatly exaggerated because he was murdered. That is his greatest legacy, and that his image was used as a symbol of racial equality since.

When you separate the man from the myth, his name accomplished more after his death than he ever did in life.

[jillian]

I don't think anyone here is trying to diminish his contributions. His contributions are what they are. Trying to diminish OR exaggerate them in any way only does disservice to who and what he actually was. IMO, his accomplishments are greatly exaggerated because he was murdered. That is his greatest legacy, and that his image was used as a symbol of racial equality since.

When you separate the man from the myth, his name accomplished more after his death than he ever did in life.

I don't know. I only know what I've been told about him and I know my mom always said she got the first migraine she ever had on the night he was murdered because she got so upset.

As for being greater in death, one could say the same about Jesus, too. It doesn't diminish his contributions either. And I'm not saying that to be glib. I'm saying that because often there are people who are larger in death than they were in life. Personally, I don't think King was one of those, but again, doesn't diminish or exaggerate his contributions, I think.

[manu1959]

I don't think anyone here is trying to diminish his contributions. His contributions are what they are. Trying to diminish OR exaggerate them in any way only does disservice to who and what he actually was. IMO, his accomplishments are greatly exaggerated because he was murdered. That is his greatest legacy, and that his image was used as a symbol of racial equality since.

When you separate the man from the myth, his name accomplished more after his death than he ever did in life.

jfk accomplishments are greatly exaggerated because he was murdered. That is his greatest legacy

as fo mlk .... he did a lot of white women....maybe he should have his own day

[Mr. P]

MLK was the leader of a movement, he became the figurehead. He didn’t start the movement but to his credit did grab the Raines and moved it forward. He was in the right place at the right time. Hundreds of others were behind and around him. He didn’t do anything individually extraordinary really, IMO. Tis why I don’t think the National holiday in his name is appropriate.

[Bubbalicious]

I understand that. But imagine being black in this country and feeling that even the best among you couldn't get that type of recognition. The thing about Martin Luther King is that no one since has articulated his cause as well. If it weren't for him, maybe people like LBJ wouldn't have felt shamed by the status quo that existed at the time. Maybe if he were still alive charletans and pretenders like Al Sharpton wouldn't have a voice.

I'm not sure I agree that MLK articulated the case for civil rights better than anyone before or since. He was great, but Malcolm X and Fredrick Douglass were also pretty eloquent. A lot of people took some really huge risks without making any big speeches too. The Little Rock Nine, for example.
I think MLK struck the right chord at the right time and became a national symbol. And I think that's okay for now, but maybe eventually other historic civil rights figures will gain more recognition and MLK Day will morph into something like Civil Rights Day. Or not. Whatever. We'll see.

[manu1959]

I'm not sure I agree that MLK articulated the case for civil rights better than anyone before or since. He was great, but Malcolm X and Fredrick Douglass were also pretty eloquent. A lot of people took some really huge risks without making any big speeches too. The Little Rock Nine, for example.
I think MLK struck the right chord at the right time and became a national symbol. And I think that's okay for now, but maybe eventually other historic civil rights figures will gain more recognition and MLK Day will morph into something like Civil Rights Day. Or not. Whatever. We'll see.

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/english.../evers_medgar/

he was the man....civil rights day is a good call

[Mr. P]

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/english.../evers_medgar/

he was the man....civil rights day is a good call

I can accept a 'civil rights day' sorta like 'Juneteenth' in Texas but National.

[Bubbalicious]

I can accept a 'civil rights day' sorta like 'Juneteenth' in Texas but National.

Why not? Civil rights is universal.

[Mr. P]

Why not? Civil rights is universal.

Why not what?