President arrives at King's tomb site to lay wreath (and is greeted by protesters)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 1.15.04 | JEFFRY SCOTT, BILL MONTGOMERY and CHARLES YOO

[mhking]

Hundreds of protesters greeted President Bush in Atlanta shortly before 4 p.m. as he placed a wreath on the grave of Martin Luther King Jr. on what would have been the slain civil rights leader's 75th birthday.

Buddhists chanting, students beating African drums and others shouting "Bush go home" burst past barriers but were driven back by police who, in an attempt to corral the protesters, parked four MARTA buses between the protesters and the grave site.

One protester held a sign that read "Bush - Zionist, puppet and liar."

Police had said they planned to keep the protestors 500 feet away from Kings crypt but the protesters, teeming just across Auburn Avenue, were much closer and could see the president as he placed the wreath.

A park ranger on the scene earlier warned protesters if they did not keep off Auburn Avenue the president would not come, but Bush appeared right on schedule, at about 3:50 p.m. Bush left the King Center at about 4:05.

Atlanta Police Sgt. Kevin Iosti said two people were arrested for stepping into Auburn Avenue and refusing to move.

Air Force One touched down at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. at 3:23 p.m.

The president visited King's grave while on a campaign trip to Atlanta.

"It's all politics," said barber Seaborn Johnson, as he sliced an apple waiting for customers in the Auburn Avenue Barber Shop. "It's an election year, isn't it? Hell, I would come there too if I was running for office. But the Bush family always opposed everything Dr. King did, so he's just applying for votes, that's all he's doing."

The president's visit, which will include a campaign fund-raiser this evening at the Georgia World Congress Center, has drawn criticism from King event organizers who say that it will disrupt tributes to the civil rights leader on what would have been his 75th birthday.

At an NAACP press conference this morning at the Atlanta chapter's headquarters, the group questioned the true motive for Bush's visit.

Bush contacted the King Center late last week to say he'd be in Atlanta today and wanted to pay his respects by placing a wreath at King's crypt.

"Did he come to raise funds for Republicans and stop by to lay a wreath as a secondary ploy or is he sincere about laying the wreath and the fund-raising secondary?" said Dr. R.L. White, president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP.

"With a spoken position against what Martin Luther King Jr. stood for, the Bush administration has stood against -- affirmative action [and refused] to meet with the national leadership of civil rights organizations, including the premier organization, the NAACP, which has been in existence since 1909."

A presidential visit requires tight security, which in this case threatened to force the cancellation of a long-planned tribute to King next door at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Members of the MLK March Committee, who worked with King and planned today's tribute at the church, had complained that Bush might end up ruining the event. They said the daylong tribute with a focus on human rights was supposed to go from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., but that Secret Service agents told them they'd have to empty the church early in the afternoon to allow a security sweep before Bush's 3:45 p.m. visit. But on Wednesday, a compromise was reached. The program can now take place while the president is at the King Center.

Efforts by Bush organizers to coordinate the president's visit so it won't disrupt local celebrations didn't seem to have soothed everybody's feelings.

"I think he takes us black people as a joke," said barber shop customer Willie Tom Franklin, 58. "I wouldn't say he shouldn't come, but he's a little late in coming to Auburn Avenue.

"It's a gesture of respect, him coming to King's grave, but it's not about helping us ... I think it's about feeding off the little people."

Ulysses Crawford, owner of Auburn Avenue Barber Shop, asked, "How long has Bush been in office, three years? And how often have you seen him here?"

Mary Langston, who said she has been homeless since her divorce few months ago, had more positive things to say.

"I'm just a homeless person, but I'm proud he's taking some of his busy time to honor Dr. King," Langston said.

Anthony Bozeman, a former fast food manager, said while at the barbershop that he supported the president's motives for visiting King's grave.

"I don't think it was strictly politics. I think it comes from his heart. Dr. King was a great man, and he showing respect for that," Bozeman said. He added that the invasion of Iraq was "a good job against a man who spent his life torturing and killing his own people."

Johnson, the barber, said the mood on Auburn shifted as the president's advance security team arrived.

"The police and Secret Service were in and out of places around here yesterday, looking around. You could spot the Secret Service, the walk different, they dress different, and they talk different. In fact, they didn't talk much."

There was little traffic, pedestrian or otherwise on Auburn Avenue around 10:30 a.m. Parking meters were covered with plastic and "no parking" signs were plentiful as the secret service cleared the corridor for the presidential motorcade.

The president is expected to arrive in Atlanta this afternoon about 3:20 and get to the King Center for the wreath laying at 3:45.

He is scheduled to speak at the Georgia World Congress Center to raise money for his campaign and leave Atlanta about 7:15.

[boothead]

President arrives at King's tomb site to lay wreath

Strom Thurmond said he would have been there but he had other comittments.

[BushisTheMan]

I think I remember Coretta King saying some very disparaging remarks about President Bush. Bet she was ticked when someone let him place the wreath.

[maica]

Are you in Atlanta? I am wondering if there has been much coverage of President Bush's visit on TV. that would show the true make-up of the protestors, who look like the usual anti-war 'activists.'

[mhking]

Are you in Atlanta? I am wondering if there has been much coverage of President Bush's visit on TV. that would show the true make-up of the protestors, who look like the usual anti-war 'activists.'

Yes, I'm in Atlanta, and thus far (I've been watching WAGA/Fox 5), the protestors appear to be pretty well split between the radical "professional protester" types and black locals.

The lead story locally has been split between Bush's visit and the robbery murder of a popular teacher and his son locally.

Fox 5 ran Zell Miller's introduction of the President along with his speech; I was in the kitchen cooking at the same time, so I couldn't turn and see what the other affiliates were doing.

[mhking]

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

[Democratshavenobrains]

These same complainers are the ones who bash Bush for not going to every military funeral, despite the complications it would cause in security.

[sauropod]

Let her choke on it.

[lainde]

I'm glad he honored Dr. King...To hell with the haters!

[maica]

Thanks very much for adding the photos. It does not seem like too many Atlantans were concerned by his visit. If you hear any snide criticism of his visit for the wreath-laying, could you please tell the critic for me that white Americans do not understand why black Americans do not think that Martin Luther King was an American for all of us.

[maica]

These same complainers are the ones who bash Bush for not going to every military funeral, despite the complications it would cause in security.

This kind of inconsistency is becoming apparent to more and more thinking people, thankfully.

[JustPiper]

The only cable news that showed this today was Bush speaking at a black function, and he seemed so dramatic and so trite, I turned it off

[maica]

Another opinion:


Saw the New Orleans event today. Wonderful speech, though I hate to call it a speech. He was so earnest, and passionate about the faith based programs. I love when he speaks to these groups. He is so natural and relaxed, it really shows.
53 posted on 01/15/2004 8:14:03 PM EST by baseballmom

[TheEaglehasLanded]

One protester held a sign that read "Bush - Zionist, puppet and liar."

I guess that was Cynthia and her dad Billy McKinney

[Howlin]

Not only that, but on Fox today, the Fox guy who was down at the church where Bush spoke said that several of the women he talked to said THEY were going to vote for Bush.

[hershey]

What's sad is that so many blacks listen to the people who've done nothing but use them. In the process of buying black votes, LBJ and his Great Society destroyed the black family. The Democrats have used blacks for generations, convincing them they're victims, who can't make it without affirmative action and more and more entitlements. Treated like children, never as equals (adults). If that isn't racist thinking, I don't know what is. Generations of blacks have been brainwashed to believe they're inferior -- thanks to their great good pals, the democRATS. They may never admit it, but it's true. Worse, people like Jesse Jackson and yes, Al Sharpton, have jumped on this racist gravy train. It's not what Martin Luther King had in mind, and it's a perversion of all he believed in and really sad.

[marajade]

"Why does he even bother?"

Bush doesn't do it for any particular motive except that he feels it was right to do so in his heart.

[maica]

A report from a participant at the church meeting in New Orleans - (There are also lots of terrific photos by omegatoo)

222


Hmmmm, blow-by-blow....

Union Bethel is a very nice church in the Central City area of New Orleans. Right between 2 housing projects. Needless to say, security was tight. There were bomb sniffing dogs checking the cars at a lot around the corner from the church. Traffic was shut down for 2 blocks in every direction at about 9 am.

The roundtable started at 9:30 or 10, in a separate area of the church. We didn't see the president arrive for that. Everyone was pretty well settled into the church by 10 for the speech that was to start at 11. The church choir sang several rousing hymns, with people clapping and singing along.

Just before 11 the roundtable participants entered from the side door near me, then the VIPs including Representative Vitter and Governor Blanco, (who got a standing ovation which I found a little disconcerting).

Since everybody was standing, I thought the president had come in, too, but he hadn't. Everyone sat back down,and someone introduced Reverand Brown, who entered from the choir area to introduce the president. The president suddenly appeared right behind him before the reverand even got to the podium. Everyone was back on their feet immediately (which un-disconcerted me).

The president's speech was very well received. He was interrupted by applause several times, especially when he spoke about his executive order eliminating discrimination against faith-based programs in the distribution of federal grant money. He got lots of "amens" when he talked about the importance of not trying to take the "faith" out of the programs to meet governmental regulations.

He introduced several local leaders of faith-based programs, one of whom just received a federal grant for her battered women's shelter that had been refused before he signed the executive order.

I think he started out trying to win people over, but it was soon obvious that he was "preaching to the choir". He went on to encourage those with successful programs to help others start similar ones. He got a standing ovation at the end, and spent about 5 minutes greeting people in the front rows. Then he was gone. :-(

Everybody still seemed happy when they left, and while we were waiting for the shuttles a pastor asked the founder of the women's shelter how she had gotten her grant and she explained to him how to go about doing that. Hmmm, wasn't that the president's idea??

O2

[subterfuge]

Thanks for the pics mhking.

[ladyjane]

But the Bush family always opposed everything Dr. King

Womanizing, plagiarizing, prevaricating...