| I have been hearing news coverage of the recent | | | | the movement. Despite near constant death threats |
| discussion in social and political circles about the real | | | | from many quarters King persisted in his righteous |
| legacy of Martin Luther King. This began even before | | | | cause as a real Christian, until his assassination. |
| the MLK holiday. It seemed to be tied in part to the | | | | Lincoln, Kennedy, King all shot to death. It may be true |
| presidential elections as part of the awareness that | | | | that Johnson changed history in some way, but more |
| Barak Obama was actually doing well in the primaries. | | | | as signatory than an activist and leader. I believe to |
| Whatever the reason for these many allusions to | | | | some extent the fears that were muttered at the time |
| Martin Luther King's importance to America or effects | | | | that Johnson could also be assassinated as well. |
| on American Civil Rights, I heard the discussions sadly | | | | During the Viet Nam years many political powers were |
| lacking the elemental importance of MLK's work. | | | | deep at work in this country and in this world. |
| Martin Luther King was absolutely feared by many | | | | Johnson survived to grow his hair long and speak of |
| whites as a trouble maker. I am white and I can tell you | | | | his regrets about the war in Viet Nam. He summed up |
| at the time many Americans did not know about or | | | | the problems of prejudice as a matter of ignorance |
| understand the Civil Rights movement. Most | | | | and he named education as the single most important |
| Americans did not understand Viet Nam or racial | | | | factor in creating and maintaining a strong nation and |
| inequality either. Most Americans just heard bits and | | | | culture. To his credit these statements supported most |
| pieces in the news and then rumors passed from | | | | of the legitimate protesting of the era, albeit made in |
| acquaintance to acquaintance. | | | | hindsight rather than during thedemonstrations by |
| But Americans also knew very little about groups like | | | | millions of citizens. |
| the Zulu 1200, Blackstone Rangers, Black Panthers - or | | | | Martin Luther King knew he would eventually be |
| men like Malcolm X, Bobby Seale or numerous others | | | | assaulted, having been attacked regularly by |
| from more militant Moslem influenced groups. | | | | counter-demonstrators and authorities in some locales |
| What Americans could have understood, and should | | | | - possibly be killed. Yet he continued to lead as the |
| absolutely know by now, is that Martin Luther King | | | | focal point of a Christian conscience. Whites and |
| was a Christian leader of a movement to right many | | | | blacks who supported him were also attacked. When |
| wrongs here in the USA. He was the man least to be | | | | the federal government began to respond slowly in |
| feared in his movement, and most to be respected. I | | | | assisting the movement against racial inequality it was |
| am not saying he was without sin. I am saying he was | | | | seen by many as some sort of concession to a threat |
| a man trying to change a large and potentially | | | | against whites. |
| dangerous system with the words and actions of a | | | | Again Martin Luther King was the last good voice in a |
| Christian. | | | | rapidly deteriorating situation. Martin Luther |
| Emphasis must be added here on the word "action." | | | | Kingdiscouraged violence and wrong-doing among |
| He acted as a Christian, not just talked about it. | | | | blacks at a time when talk of a possible race war |
| Martin Luther King gave his movement the right leader, | | | | passed in and out of anxious conversations. And as |
| one who could be respected for all of his virtues and | | | | devastating as a race war would have been to all the |
| righteousness. People have argued that it took | | | | people of America at the time, it would have continued |
| Malcolm and Bobby to wake up the government to | | | | to curse this nation far beyond today, just as the Civil |
| respond to a "lesser of evils" in MLK. I can't argue | | | | War tore deep into this nation's morale and psyche. |
| against that because it seems to have taken decades | | | | The best thing to remember about Martin Luther King |
| so far and the movement still has things to accomplish | | | | was that he did the right thing time and again. When |
| for both opportunity and responsibility in race issues. | | | | others were plotting, hostile, violent and destructive he |
| Recently Hilary Clinton mentioned that it took President | | | | brought the spirit of Christ to the situation. Even if you |
| Lyndon Baines Johnson's support and signatures to | | | | are not a Christian you must recognize the grace of |
| enact civil rights legislation that began to address | | | | his message and the goodness of his acts in the |
| America's race problems. That statement may be true, | | | | horrible social context of the day. It is a shame that a |
| but it is really not cognizant of the commitment and | | | | man like this was killed for his work and his message. |
| sacrifices made by King in his words and actions for | | | | |