Remembering America's civil rights King

There are lots of moving tributes today of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was gunned down in Memphis, Tennessee 40 years ago today by James Earl Ray. (Above, MLK's daughter Bernice King spoke at an event last year commemorating her father. [Photo from Newsweek])

I guess I might be misguided, but I do find it a bit distasteful that important people in American history who were assassinated are remembered the day they were killed. I know that we must always remember that King was murdered, but I find commemorations of assassinations just a bit distasteful - be it King or any of the Kennedys, etc. My point is that there was so much more to Martin Luther King Jr. than his assassination - I prefer to remember him on Martin Luther King Jr. Day - the national holiday.

I love listening to King speak - I could listen to his speeches all day long. The argument could easily be made that King is one of the finest public speakers in American history, standing along side any president we've ever had.

I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but when it comes to King, I'm a believer that our government had something to do with his murder. King was killed during one of the must tumultuous years in American history, and some feared that there could be a bona-fide revolution to overthrow our government. Others feared that the civil rights movement was behind much of the unrest. The argument certainly is plausible - considering some of the events in that past that our government has been tied to, I find it believable.

Just like President Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, I wonder what America would have been liked had King lived. I'm sure we would be living in a very different country right now, and for the better.

In April of '68, King went to Memphis to address the striking black sanitation workers who had walked off the job over unequal pay to whites. I still get goosebumps when I hear King say the following words in this final speech, just hours before his murder, given to a congregation of about 3,000:

And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!

The next day, at 6:01 p.m., he was gunned down - dead at 39 years old.

Since everything is political, it's important to note that Martin Luther King Jr., 40 years after his death, remains an intense political topic.

Senator John McCain (as did many Repubes, including then Congressman Dick Cheney) voted against a national holiday in the early 1980s - an inexcusable disgrace. (Another inconvenient truth - Reagan, the G-O-D of the GOP, was also initially opposed to such a holiday.) Today, McCain tried to make amends at the Lorraine Motel where King was shot (which is now the national civil rights museum).

Interesting to hear people boo him, no doubt for his opposition to the King federal holiday. I find it pretty convenient that he's sorry now that he's running for president. Keep in mind that McCain cast that vote when he was about 50 years old.

I also never tire of pointing out hypocrisy. Repubes the world over make great sport of pointing out that Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) was once a member of the KKK - a move he has often and repeatedly expressed great regret over. It's important to note that Byrd was in that organization decades ago, and has very publicly denounced the organization - long before he stood to gain from such denunciations. Not so with McCain.