Candidates Honor King, 40 Years After Assassination
MEMPHIS — The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “seems a bigger man” than he did 40 years ago on the day of his death, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Friday as he stood outside the motel where the civil rights leader was slain.
“The quality of his character is only more apparent. His good name will be honored as long as the creed of America is honored,” McCain said in front of the balcony where King was shot in 1968.
All three of the presidential candidates marked the anniversary of King’s death. Although McCain, who once voted against creating a national holiday on King’s birthday, was the only one to accept an invitation to speak at an observance of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King headed.
Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also traveled to the city where King died. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, the most viable black presidential candidate in history, chose to campaign in Indiana.
“Struggling is rewarded in God’s own time. Wrongs are set right and evil is overcome,” McCain said in a driving rain. “We know this to be true because it is the story of the man we honor today and because it is the story of our country,”
Obama addressed a rally in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he not only spoke of King’s legacy but alluded to another leader gunned down in 1968 — Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. During the evening of the day King was shot, it was Kennedy who in a memorable, off-the-cuff speech informed a stunned crowd in Indiana of King’s assassination. Kennedy was in the state to campaign in its Democratic primary.
Obama said King “preached the gospel of brotherhood; of equality and justice.”
The Illinois senator said King recognized “that no matter what the color of our skin, no matter what faith we practice, no matter how much money we have — no matter whether we are sanitation workers or United States senators — we all have a stake in one another, we are our brother’s keeper, we are our sister’s keeper, and either we go up together, or we go down together.”
Asked about his decision to speak in Indiana rather than in Memphis, Obama reminded reporters on his campaign plane that he spoke at King’s church in Atlanta in January to mark his birthday and last month delivered a major speech on race.
“I think it’s important to spread the message that Dr. King’s work is unfinished in places like Indiana and North Dakota,” Obama said.
I cannot believe that obama took time out for a vaction but could not take time out to go to Tennesse to observed this special moment in time for Dr. Martin Luther King. Hillary did and I commend her for that. obama tries to talk his way out of every situation the truth of the matter is he should have been there. It was a slap in the face to every black person that voted for him it show that he really do not care about the black folks he just want you votes. This is why I voted for Hillary, she is very sincere. obama you are a big joke. WAKE UP PEOPLE YOU ARE ABOUT TO PUT THE WRONG PERSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT HIMSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charles
slow your roll there brother. I don’t think you understood what Sunshine was saying. Unless I misunderstood her, the point is that Rev. Wright has said, to an extent, the very same things that Dr. King said in the past. We all want to remember Dr. King for the positives, but no one wants to mention the negative. The similarity I think Sunshine was making was that Barack Obama is being judged today, just as Dr. King was in his day. Unfortunately, Obama carries the burden of another man’s words.
Don’t forget that McCain voted against honoring Dr. King with his own day.
OpenMinded: Then I guess you are saying it’s okay to be anti-Semite, anti-white and anti-America. I am very sorry you feel that is true.
This is not a BAD country, people from all over the world are trying to get here because of the opportunities (not the entitlements) and few are trying to leave. We do not have fences to keep people here. It is possible for anyone in America to succeed. That doesn’t mean living in America means all will succeed, few will succeed many will just get by. Someone once said: “I believe in luck, the harder I work the luckier I get”.
Many things can make America better but being Anti-all of the above will not.
All things said, where would you rather live?
I, like Sunshine, the first one to post on this topic, saw the excerpt of the speech made my Martin Luther King made a year before his death. He also made strong statements that if the government of the U.S. didn’t change its ways, God would withdraw the blessing made to the U.S. (my paraphrase)….very passionate, anti-American “sounding” statements from Dr. King.
This reminds us that you can strongly agree with America and still be a PATRIOT. Are you listening, Bill O’Reilly?
Sen Obama didn’t go to the State of the Black Union because he was busy campaigning and now he’s too busy campaigning to honor Dr. King or is it because Tenn has already voted he doesn’t feel it’s important to go there or it is because he knows he doesn’t have to do any work to get the black vote at all, would taking a couple of hours on one day really have made a big deal for him, maybe some one should tell him that he wouldn’t be where he is at today if it wasn’t for people like Dr. King.
Sunshine. I saw the same documentary. I agree!!!!
I also saw the MLK documentary. I am black and grew up catholic and converted to baptist in highschool. I sympothize for Obama because I have went to several black churches and am used to preachers who preach the same as Rev Wright. I’m not saying they use that exact same words, but they mean the exact same thing. I don’t belive Rev Wright is racist. If he was to preach at my church and said that I’m absolutely sure that no one would walk out and leave the church for good. But that is what some expect from Barack. My husband is of mixed race just as Barack. He is also a member of my church. We have heard things that we might not agree with by our pastor but that does not mean that one comment is what the church represents. Since I was a catholic at one time I can understand how people would not understand a Rev speaking like that at a church, but it happens every Sunday at black churches.
Responding to Sunshine’s comment:
To compare Obama with Martin Luther King Jr. is completely absurd. Martin Luther King Jr. was a poor, black man who honestly believed in the fair treatment of all man-kind (meaning no one deserved favorable treatment over another). Obama is not poor and not completely black. Obama has never experienced the same things King did, and will never carry the same burden as he. If anything, Obama is being treated favorabley by the media. Something King never experienced.
When I first heard of Dr. King in the early 60’s, I was in my twenties. The same things that are being said about Rev. Wright today, were said about Dr. King. The media played sound bites of his words and we were shocked! He was called anti-American and much worse! If we truely are to change, we must accept the past. I believe if the media can help us reflect on the past we can move forward with greater compassion and exceptence of our differences.
Sunshine
Race baiting? Obama and his mentor pastor have as much to do with patriotism to this country as it does race. Maybe more. The solution is so simple!! If you don’t like America, get out!!
Obama carries no burden other than that he has created for himself.