[Lando Lincoln]

The opinions expressed in this column represent those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, or philosophy of....

Lando

[Non-Sequitur]

Martin Luther King exhibited a steadfast devotion to equal rights. He was a man of courage and eloquence. That can’t be taken away from him.

But Bates is going to do his damndest to try.

[postaldave]

[TommyDale]

I have always wondered why so many people held this womanizing, plagiarizing Marxist in such high esteem. No one had the guts to tell it like it really was. I think the black community has many other leaders and heroes that had a better record in the community.

[goldstategop]

The government lied to us about Vietnam... it had no strategy for the winning the war. That was apparent to every one by 1968. Its true the Left's reasons for opposing the war had more to do with self-interest than the fact the aim was far from unjust. Could it have been different? What can be said for sure was that Vietnam above all was the beginning of the end of the American people's trust in the ability of public institutions to get things done right.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I agree with much of what Bates says. In truth, King is largely an unknown quantity. As Bates points out, what people believe is so larded with symbols and personal perceptions, the actual man is lost.

Personally, I regard King as another activist cleric that lives in denial of his 'faith' while using the collar as a cover for explicit political ends. I also regard his communist associations and infidelity as indicators of his real character - color notwithstanding. It will be recalled that none other than Ronald Reagan was excoriated by the Left and the press for voicing his wonder at just what the good Reverend was up to over in the Soviet Union. Of course, he recanted and gave us all (at least those who work for the government) a tax payer funded day off.

In the final analysis, though, it is up to the machinery of the culture to decide what he was and what he accomplished. So far, the Left has been in firm control of that legacy and they have sainted him with honors far, far beyond his ken. In any event, he was the lightning rod for social change and a good deal of that was good and necessary. A good deal of it, however, was just plain bad and we still suffer the ill effects of the 'moral' crusade of those times.

In the future, the debate may be rejoined and the restraint of political correctness gone. Then the true measure of the man will be taken - when all those that would bludgeon legitimate questions are finally seen as the bigots of the present age.

[G.Mason]

"Today, saying anything that remotely could be construed as critical of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a certain ticket to being branded a racist or being measured for a tinfoil hat."

Just before the 67' riots in Newark, N.J., the King and his merry henchmen strode into town, stroked the fires of rebellion, and as if on cue left the city hours before the riot began.

Actually, it wasn't a riot, it was a looting rampage.

[lunarbicep]

ping

[Redleg Duke]

I am 57-years old, 58 on the next aniversary of King's assassination, and that is the Martin Luther King, Jr I recall.

The liberals have developed a cult of King, based on revised history that overlooks or hides the ugliness that was Martin Luther King, Jr. These are the same liberals who are trying to invent revised history to trash our Founding Fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson and the great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln.

Go figure!

[dix]

I’ve been waiting for this article to appear, or re appear whatever. I’m not saying big changes were not needed.

King may have been pure when he started, but let’s forget about his personal flaws for a moment. He had been radicalized, and captured by the hard left communists after a while, and had become an organ for their cause.

He had become another tool to bring down America by dividing us.

[cyborg]

Nevertheless, his memory is severely tarnished by his unwarranted attacks on his own country

** There was a lot to attack whether this author wants to believe it or not. If I was living in the South back then, I don't know if I would have been happy about the Vietnam War either. Imagine going to stop communism in another country, but not taking care of your own country? Bizarre. I don't think they were unwarranted at all.

[Cowboy Bob]

The observance has to a great extent deteriorated, as have many other holidays, into just a paid day off for people with government jobs...

MLK B-Day has never been anything more then a paid day off for gov't workers. It was a crumb thrown to blacks to shut them up.

[foreverfree]

bump

[auggy]

Thank You, Lando for bringing out the truth. Any criticism of MLK always targets a racist, to most people.

Thanks for refreshing my memory.

[nmh]

Demoncrats and Republicans have made him into what they want him to be. He is now an imaginary figure of fantasy importance.

[wardaddy]

Bump

[wardaddy]

I don't think we should pick national icons or holidays for blacks because they need or deserve a black icon or holiday of their own.

Somebody did say colorblind was the goal once but I've seen scant evidence anyone really meant any of it.

I'm ambivalent about King as a man and leader. I am not ambivalent about his holiday. I don't think he deserves it and as I already said, I'm not about to root for a black person to get one just because they are black and maybe stood for good things some of the time.

We should declare national holidays on the order of merit only and be very stingy with them.