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

[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...