Coretta Scott King memorial service thread [merge]

[ukywyldcat]

I follow the news very closely, but must have missed how important this woman was. Honestly, I've heard about her from time to time, but rarely, and now its like 24/7 coverage of her death. Really, is this necessary? Anyone else sick of it too? Is this simply kissing the black community's ass or what?

[Groucho]

Yes, I wish the media would get off this and get back to what really matters: missing white girls.

[wendersfan]

Is this simply kissing the black community's ass or what?Yes, that's all it is.

It must suck for you how this is cutting in to all the news stories about Paris Hilton and Brad/Angelina.

:rolleyes:

[nemein]

Considering the funeral service is going on right now I suspect it's going to drop off soon. I disagree w/ the assessment, but then again I usually only follow online news so it's easy to focus in only on the articles/topics you want to read about. It seems she was an important person, even if she wasn't constantly in the headlines, and as such it shouldn't be surprised she's in the limelight at her death.

[Red Dog]

Yes, I wish the media would get off this and get back to what really matters: missing white girls.


:lol:

[classicman2]

Well at least there's an outside chance (small though it may be) that the missing white girls are alive. ;)

[LiquidSky]

Considering the funeral service is going on right now I suspect it's going to drop off soon. I disagree w/ the assessment, but then again I usually only follow online news so it's easy to focus in only on the articles/topics you want to read about. It seems she was an important person, even if she wasn't constantly in the headlines, and as such it shouldn't be surprised she's in the limelight at her death.

Agreed.

[nemein]

Seems the funeral (atleast for some speakers) is turning into a let's indirectly bash Bush session. I'm not sure if he's still there or not but some are getting in some good licks wrt WMD, the war, poverty, etc.

[Vandelay_Inds]

Her husband was a very important historical figure. Much of this is plain opportunism.

[mosquitobite]

Seems the funeral (atleast for some speakers) is turning into a let's indirectly bash Bush session. I'm not sure if he's still there or not but some are getting in some good licks wrt WMD, the war, poverty, etc.

:rolleyes: Pitiful.

[LiquidSky]

Seems the funeral (atleast for some speakers) is turning into a let's indirectly bash Bush session. I'm not sure if he's still there or not but some are getting in some good licks wrt WMD, the war, poverty, etc.


That's too bad. Seems like everything these days has to turn into politics.

[nemein]

In all fairness I should add the majority of the speakers have not been doing this. It's just a couple of opportists looking for their 5 mins.

[VinVega]

Coretta Scott King's death is a passing of an era of sorts, so I can understand why she is getting some coverage, although I haven't watched more than a minute of it.

[ukywyldcat]

It must suck for you how this is cutting in to all the news stories about Paris Hilton and Brad/Angelina.

:lol: Not quite, but thanks for your thoughts.

[cdollaz]

It's just a couple of opportists looking for their 5 mins.

I haven't been paying attention. Who are the scumbags who are hijacking someone's funeral to promote their own agenda?

[ukywyldcat]

I haven't been paying attention. Who are the scumbags who are hijacking someone's funeral to promote their own agenda?

Actually, since posting this thread, I've been watching people speak at the funeral. Kennedy and Carter got their share of digs in. Bill Clinton is speaking right now and so far his comments have been about her as an individual. I simply can't stand Clinton, but he's been the best speaker yet hands down. His wife is next though. :eek:

[X]

If she hadn't had all this media attention we might not have known that Hillary still remembers how to do her bobble head motion while Bill's speaking.

[General Zod]

Seems the funeral (atleast for some speakers) is turning into a let's indirectly bash Bush session. I'm not sure if he's still there or not but some are getting in some good licks wrt WMD, the war, poverty, etc.
Typical.

Most people speaking probably don't give two craps about Coretta, it's just an opportunity to voice their personal view on other subjects.

[Lunatikk]

it's black history month, what do you expect?

[tcoursen]

I haven't been paying attention. Who are the scumbags who are hijacking someone's funeral to promote their own agenda?

I'm a work and happen to be listening to Limbaugh ( I know, not the best source ). But he has mentioned that Carter talked about New Orleans hurricane victims. And he played a clip of somebody else, i forget who, talking about the WMD's not being there. Those two seem pretty out of place, and disrespectful for this event.

[kvrdave]

Martha Washington is rolling over in her grave.

I don't understand the hype with her as she basically married her legacy, but it seems to bring out a unified something. :shrug:

[nemein]

I haven't been paying attention. Who are the scumbags who are hijacking someone's funeral to promote their own agenda?

As usual I'm listening to it on CSPAN in the background so I haven't caught everything. The one that really jumped to the forefront was some minister/leader of some Southern Conference of Ministers (or something like that, please don't quote me on this since I didn't catch his name), it was during his speech that I wrote the above comment due his blatant grandstanding and talking about WMD not being found there but WMD[istraction] being abundant here (or something to that effect). Overall so far it's been a decent service and about what I would have expected (except I would have expected more music since several people are talking about how much she liked music).

[Thor Simpson]

I have no problem with her being celebrated. I'm not tuning in to any of it though. It's better than a lot of things the media likes to hone in on. Katrina made race a big topic again, and I'm sure this is influenced by that.

The people taking the opportunity to make political statements through this should be ashamed of themselves.

[Johnny Boy]

Seems the funeral (atleast for some speakers) is turning into a let's indirectly bash Bush session. I'm not sure if he's still there or not but some are getting in some good licks wrt WMD, the war, poverty, etc.

What do you expect? Bush is a joke and should be numb to it by now. He should expect it. I don't think Coretta would mind the bashes at all. She's probably nodding in approval from beyond the grave. R.I.P. Mrs. Martin Luther The King!

[classicman2]

No comment from me. I've learned my lesson. I was chastised, humiliated, called an insensitive slob, virtually called a racist and a bigot when I had the gall to question the contribution of another black woman not very long ago at her death. In fact I didn't question it - I simply made a comparison. ;)

[Rogue588]

So wait...this is what's keeping "Britney Spears driving with her baby sitting on her lap" from the front page? -ohbfrank-

Fucking media..

[wendersfan]

So wait...this is what's keeping Britney Spears driving with her baby on her lap from the front page? -ohbfrank-

Fucking media..
Yeah, never mind the fact four presidents attended the funeral; they're only there to kiss the black community's ass.

[Red Dog]

Personally, I more tired of the continued coverage of the officiating in the Super Bowl.

[Red Dog]

No comment from me. I've learned my lesson. I was chastised, humiliated, called an insensitive slob, virtually called a racist and a bigot when I had the gall to question the contribution of another black woman not very long ago at her death. In fact I didn't question it - I simply made a comparison. ;)



Coretta was no Lady Bird Johnson.

[nemein]

What do you expect?

Simple decorum, but in this day and age rank opportunism takes precendence. I agree though by now Bush is probably numb to it. I also have no doubt Coretta probably would have agree w/ some of what was said. Whether or not she would agree the setting was the appropriate place to say I don't know. I would hope not but civility (esp when it comes to politics) seems to be a thing of the past -ohbfrank-

[classicman2]

I've exercised my Constitutional Option. I've chosen not to watch.

Instead - I'm watching the asbestos debate in the Senate.

[movie diva]

Martha Washington is rolling over in her grave.

I don't understand the hype with her as she basically married her legacy, but it seems to bring out a unified something. :shrug:


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/3640366.html


The real Coretta Scott King — before she became Mrs.
A friend explains: She was more than just wife or widow


By BARBARA A. REYNOLDS


It was, of course, accurate to label Coretta Scott King the wife or widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But in her own eyes, the label obscured who she really was.

Before she met her husband, she had traveled internationally, crusading for world peace, arriving at that juncture before Dr. King did. During the marriage, she saw herself as a partner, not as an afterthought or an appendage. After her husband's death, she was a warrior figure pushing aside male-dominated leadership to perpetuate Dr. King's legacy by building the King Center and achieving a national holiday honoring him.

In taped interviews over a two-year period, Mrs. King poured out a much different version of her life than the public one of a grieving widow living in the shadow of a heroic husband. As I worked on her yet-unpublished memoirs, she talked candidly, struggling to eject herself from a context that has long been misunderstood.

The interviews grew out of a long-standing relationship that started 30 years ago, when I was assigned to write a magazine cover story about her for the Chicago Tribune. I was there when she was poring over blueprints representing her vision for a King Center, even as some male counterparts condemned her for pursuing such an effort.

I was there in the basement of their home when a teary-eyed Martin Luther King III showed me the bike his father bought him but never lived to see him ride. Recently I traveled with Mrs. King, a strict vegan, to a weight-loss center in Florida, where, for a week, we ate nothing but raw vegetables. For years she never forgot to send me a birthday card. I received my last in August.

So you see, she was not only my mentor but my friend, and I know that she wanted to set the record straight.

"Before I was a King, I was a Scott," she said. "We were landowners and independent thinkers. If I had been a weak, fearful woman, Martin would have been forced to pull back or curtail some of his campaigns, but I brought to the marriage a spirit of not only my mother's discernment but my father's strength.

"I was a partner in the movement. When whites bombed our home in Montgomery, Alabama, I was in the home with my infant daughter. We could have been killed, but I refused to give in to fear, because I had a wonderful role model, my father, Obadiah, who, like Martin, was one of the most fearless men I ever met."

Mrs. King was no stranger to terrorism. In 1942, as a child, she had seen her home on the outskirts of Marion, Ala., burned to the ground by whites on Thanksgiving Eve.

"Through it all, my father never hated those who did that terrible thing," she said. "He just picked himself up and fearlessly started over again. My burned-out home prepared me for the fires next time in Montgomery. My father, like his father before him, served as the preacher's steward and chairman of the trustee board of our African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. His example of forgiveness deepened my understanding of the commitment needed to face and eventually triumph with love over hate.

"I had no problem being the wife of Martin, but I was never just a wife. In the 1950s, as a concert singer, I performed 'freedom concerts' raising funds for the movement. I ran my household, raised my children, and spoke out on world issues. Maybe people didn't know that I was always an activist because the media wasn't watching. I once told Martin that although I loved being his wife and a mother, if that was all I did I would have gone crazy. I felt a calling on my life from an early age. I knew I had something to contribute to the world. The movement and building the King Center, speaking out on important causes, that is what God called me to do. I was married to the man whom I loved, but I was also married to the movement. ... I've had the honor of working alongside America's greatest spiritual and moral leader. I never saw my own life as personal, outside of the collective good. I never separated my love of family, church and community."

Coretta King behaved with the dignity of royalty, a quality also often misunderstood. "I carried myself in the ladylike fashion that I had learned from my mother, who always behaved with great dignity. In the South, since black women were so disrespected by whites, our response was to push our shoulders back, keep our head high and walk with dignity and look as if we had oil wells in our backyard. As a budding concert singer, poise and decorum were simply tools of the art, which unfortunately can be mistaken for stiffness or for trying to be a prima donna. However, as someone from the rural South without many cultural advantages, who picked cotton as a child, I have never had any problems identifying with my own heritage. I knew for certain that no matter how far I would climb, I could never forget my origins or look down upon the kind of people who were my own."

As we celebrate the life of Coretta Scott King, let us celebrate her as she saw herself: a woman of substance, a partner in "the dream," a freedom fighter in her own right who helped institutionalize the memory of Dr. King for all people for generations to come.

[AGuyNamedMike]

Nope, not tired of it yet.

Of course, since I refuse to suckle at the electronic teat of television journalism, I haven't watched TV news in years. Is it still execrable?

[classicman2]

We're being somewhat of an elitist, aren't we? ;)

[dick_grayson]

No comment from me. I've learned my lesson. I was chastised, humiliated, called an insensitive slob, virtually called a racist and a bigot when I had the gall to question the contribution of another black woman not very long ago at her death. In fact I didn't question it - I simply made a comparison. ;)


one could infer that you're doing the same thing here ;)

[classicman2]

I'm old enough to realize celebrities, in death, become almost saint-like to a signficant portion of the public. I've learned to accept it.

I won't mention any names. ;)

[wendersfan]

I'm old enough to realize celebrities, in death, become almost saint-like to a signficant portion of the public. I've learned to accept it.

I won't mention any names. ;)So you're not gonna tell us about the keg party you threw with Augustine and Ignatius?

:grunt:

[Myster X]

How much of an ass kissing can one achieve in their lifetime?

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash8.htm

Today's memorial service for civil rights activist Coretta Scott King -- billed as a "celebration" of her life -- turned suddenly political as one former president took a swipe at the current president, who was also lashed by an outspoken black pastor!

The outspoken Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech, ostensibly about the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

"She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war. She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there," Lowery said.

The mostly black crowd applauded, then rose to its feet and cheered in a two-minute-long standing ovation.

A closed-circuit television in the mega-church outside Atlanta showed the president smiling uncomfortably.

"But Coretta knew, and we know," Lowery continued, "That there are weapons of misdirection right down here," he said, nodding his head toward the row of presidents past and present. "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor!" The crowd again cheered wildly.

Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered as Bush, under fire for a secret wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, again smiled weakly.

Later, Carter said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America. Some black leaders have blamed Bush for the poor federal response, and rapper Kayne West said that Bush "hates" black people.

Developing...

[Vandelay_Inds]

^ what a bunch of assholes.

[classicman2]

It's a cheap political shot. Unfortunately, we've come to expect that from the former president. He's become sort of a pathetic old man, IMO.

[eXcentris]

Washing machine detonators, weapons of misdirection, this WMD thing is really catching on. :)

[bhk]

Big surprise, Carter is an asshole. Of course he probably didn't mention in his diatribe that RFK illegaly wiretapped MLK when he was alive. I'm sure that slipped his mind somehow. I personally can't wait for Jimmuh to be pushing up daisies so that he can't coddle leftist dictators anymore.

[classicman2]

I personally can't wait for Jimmuh to be pushing up daisies so that he can't coddle leftist dictators anymore.

Is that nice?

BTW: What dictators did Carter coddle?

[bhk]

Is that nice?

Is it nice to turn a funeral into a Wellstonesque rally?

What dictators did Carter coddle?
Every one that he could find(except for the Shah of Iran).

[classicman2]

The current president has coddled a few, hasn't he?

[Red Dog]

Every one that he could find(except for the Shah of Iran).


He didn't coddle the Shah of Iran? Could have fooled me.

Now of course the Shah does not equal leftist dictator.

[classicman2]

George W. not only coddles 'em - he holds hands with them. :lol:

[classicman2]

The Shah was a democrat.

[Vandelay_Inds]

nope and nope

[bhk]

This pathetic display will get played over and over again on cable news and thankfully, there will be a backlash against the dems(just like the Wellstone "memorial").

[dick_grayson]

while the media seems to go overboard on everything, this is the day of her funeral, so I don't think it's that big a deal. I'm not surprised by much of the sentiment on this board, though. Even the President was able to say something nice (or nothing at all): "...one of the most admired Americans of our time."

[Red Dog]

If anyone thinks this coverage is overblown, I give you the coverage of the death of John F. Kennedy Jr.

[classicman2]

At least Mrs. King accomplished something good in life - what did Princess Di do?

She pushed another woman who actually did accomplish many, many good things funeral off the front pages.

[Vandelay_Inds]

what did Princess Di do?

Look pretty? Stupid women LOVE her though.

[wendersfan]

At least Mrs. King accomplished something good in life - what did Princess Di do?She laid there and thought of England while some Prince banged her, then squirted out a couple of heirs. Yet somehow the stupid bimbo was beloved by millions. I could never figure that one out, myself...

[Jadzia]

Just wait until Nancy Reagan kicks the bucket...

[bhk]

Just wait until Nancy Reagan kicks the bucket...
I guarantee there won't be attacks on elected democrats when that happens. There weren't any during Nixon's funeral.

[classicman2]

Bob Dole cried at Nixon's funeral.

So did I.

[dick_grayson]

I guarantee there won't be attacks on elected democrats when that happens. There weren't any during Nixon's funeral.


that's why it's called "The Republican Attack Machine" ;)

[Jadzia]

I guarantee there won't be attacks on elected democrats when that happens. There weren't any during Nixon's funeral.

By the time she dies, will there even be any elected democrats?

[classicman2]

By the time she dies, will there even be any elected democrats?

Oh, ye of little faith. ;)

A huge Democratic victory in November

[Vandelay_Inds]

Bob Dole cried at Nixon's funeral.

So did I.

http://physicsforums.com/images/smilies/surprised.gif

[Binger]

Oh, ye of little faith. ;)

A huge Democratic victory in November...

is not going to happen. :)

[Jason]

This pathetic display will get played over and over again on cable news and thankfully, there will be a backlash against the dems(just like the Wellstone "memorial").

How will that ever happen? The liberal media and the Clinton News Network, with their foaming, irrational hatred of bush, never allow anything negative about a democrat to be said on the news. In fact, the headline on the early edition of tomorrow's Washington Post reads "Bush Glad Black Woman Dies".

[bhk]

How will that ever happen?
It will happen because the networks will think that this will actually make Bush look bad(just like the Wellstone political pep rally).

In fact, the headline on the early edition of tomorrow's Washington Post reads "Bush Glad Black Woman Dies".
Sort of like when Time Magazine's cover title was "Men and Women are Different"

Do you agree with the pathetic display put on by Carter and Lowry attacking the President in a speech at a funeral?

[General Zod]

In fact, the headline on the early edition of tomorrow's Washington Post reads "Bush Glad Black Woman Dies".
They are never quite so obvious. Expect something like "Bush celebrates the death of Coretta Scott King" or something inconspicuous, then the next day print a retraction of the headline on page 42 right next to the daily Iraq war body count.

[dick_grayson]

They are never quite so obvious. Expect something like "Bush celebrates the death of Coretta Scott King" or something inconspicuous, then the next day print a retraction of the headline on page 42 right next to the daily Iraq war body count.


Does "Bush Praises King for Changing the Country" count? Or should I wait until tomorrow?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/07/AR2006020700893.html

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Bush-King.html

[General Zod]

Wait until tomorrow, those are just AP re-prints ;)

BTW Jason and I were just being cynical, not serious. Well, not really serious.

[CRM114]

Do you agree with the pathetic display put on by Carter and Lowry attacking the President in a speech at a funeral?

I don't.

To a certain extent, Carter's comments were justifiable given the person they were honoring and what happened with Katrina. I don't know if that was a blow at Bush in particular.

The other guy bringing up war and weapons of mass destruction. C'mon. With the President sitting right behind him? Crass.

[OldDude]

No comment from me. I've learned my lesson. I was chastised, humiliated, called an insensitive slob, virtually called a racist and a bigot when I had the gall to question the contribution of another black woman not very long ago at her death. In fact I didn't question it - I simply made a comparison. ;)


That must be the overblown Rosa Parks funeral that ran hours over schedule; I thought the motorcade would never get to the cemetary. Yet, Rosa actually did something for the civil rights movement besides being married to the right person.

However, since it is politically incorrect to mention such things, I'll shut up.

[chanster]

Lot of hate here for Coretta Scott King..she was actually a pretty involved in the movement before she married MLK..plus she did a lot of work after he died.

The real problem is the media - they overblow everything. I mean we had 3 straight days about the WV miners, the media was acting like another 9/11 happened. Its just a symptom of cable networks needing something to televise.

Why is it surprising that a funeral of a person who advocated peaceful change turns into a political forum? Of course it would.

[Bill Needle]

It will happen because the networks will think that this will actually make Bush look bad(just like the Wellstone political pep rally).

That probably sounds silly to some, but I live in Minnesota and that is exactly what happened here. Even the local Democrats were not as stunned as the local media when it completely backfired.

[dick_grayson]

Lot of hate here for Coretta Scott King..she was actually a pretty involved in the movement before she married MLK..plus she did a lot of work after he died.

The real problem is the media - they overblow everything. I mean we had 3 straight days about the WV miners, the media was acting like another 9/11 happened. Its just a symptom of cable networks needing something to televise.

Why is it surprising that a funeral of a person who advocated peaceful change turns into a political forum? Of course it would.


:up:

[CRM114]

I just watched the Carter segment. Very slick how he slipped the illegal wiretapping of MLK by Nixon in there. Very slick. :)

[BKenn01]

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006 1:12 p.m. EST
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton Blast Bush at King Service


The Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton lambasted President Bush Monday night at a memorial service in Atlanta for Coretta Scott King, faulting him for the Iraq war and for ignoring the plight of black people.

The two Democratic Party civil rights leaders "galvanized the crowd" during a three-hour service at the city's famed Ebenezer Baptist Church, as they blasted government figures like Bush for trying to make the King legacy their own, the Associated Press said.

"We can't let them take her from us and reduce her to their trophy and not our freedom fighter," Jackson railed.

"This is not a celebrity funeral," added Sharpton. "This is us coming to say thank you to a woman who took a bullet in her husband and kept on marching."

The dueling reverends excoriated Bush for the Hurricane Katrina disaster and for diverting the nation's resources to the Iraq war.

President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush attended Mrs. King's funeral on Tuesday, along with former first couple Bill and Hillary Clinton.

This just shows how sad and pathetic these people are.

[natesfortune]

The Democrats seem to have gotten into the habit of using the deaths of people to classlessly turn their funerals into forums for short-term partisan politics.

What a bunch of classless bastards.

[natesfortune]

And these aren't the only ones who did this.

Jimmy Carter and the "Reverend" Joseph Lowery also took to the podium with anti-Bush wonkery... at a funeral.

Bastards all.

[kvrdave]

<i>Mod edit: To nip this in the bud I'm removing this generalization now...</i>

[SkullOrchard]

I just watched the Carter segment. Very slick how he slipped the illegal wiretapping of MLK by Nixon in there. Very slick. :)
Martin Luther King, Jr was dead before Nixon ever took office.

[Bill Needle]

MLK was dead before Nixon ever took office.
Well that makes it doubly slick! :lol:

Anyone who is still taking Jimmy Carter seriously deserves to.

[dick_grayson]

:lol: nice new thread title

[ukywyldcat]

<i>Mod edit: To nip this in the bud I'm removing this generalization now...</i>

[nemein]

:lol: nice new thread title

:confused: I mean I guess I could have added something about the media overhyping it (as per the original thread) or the Dems bashing Bush (as per the 2nd thread) but I thought I'd go w/ something simple.

[DVD Polizei]

If anyone thinks this coverage is overblown, I give you the coverage of the death of John F. Kennedy Jr.

I agree. Kennedy was certainly overblown.

[tcoursen]

I just watched the Carter segment. Very slick how he slipped the illegal wiretapping of MLK by Nixon in there. Very slick. :)

No, it was slick for they got the illegal wiretapping comments when Kennedy was there since it was his brother who was President when the wiretapping was going on, oh yeah, and his other brother who was attorney general. Of course the democrat LBJ kept up the illegal wire taps.

[joeblow69]

And these aren't the only ones who did this.

Jimmy Carter and the "Reverend" Joseph Lowery also took to the podium with anti-Bush wonkery... at a funeral.

Bastards all.
Judging by all the clapping during those segments, the people at the funeral (who actually knew the lady) weren't offended. Why should you be?

[CRM114]

Martin Luther King, Jr was dead before Nixon ever took office.

You're right. Carter didn't mention Nixon. That was my mistake.

"It was difficult for them personally, with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretapping."

Slick. It galvanizes the point perfectly.

[classicman2]

I don't.

To a certain extent, Carter's comments were justifiable given the person they were honoring and what happened with Katrina. I don't know if that was a blow at Bush in particular.

Don't pull a Bushite on us.

Don't attempt to defend the indefensible.

I wonder if Carter if suffering from some severe malady?

[CRM114]

Don't pull a Bushite on us.


:lol:

[Bill Needle]

Judging by all the clapping during those segments, the people at the funeral (who actually knew the lady) weren't offended.
Of course they weren't. Everyone knows they were there for an illegal wire tapping seminar. It can't be because the people clapping were just as bitterly partisan as those speaking.

[SkullOrchard]

You're right. Carter didn't mention Nixon. That was my mistake.



Slick. It galvanizes the point perfectly.Don't you find it more than a bit ironic that Martin Luther King Jr. was illegally spied upon and wire-tapped under direct orders from President John F Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and President Lyndon Johnson...three Democrats held in very high esteem for their positive contributions to the modern Civil Rights movement.

Jimmy Carter conveniently neglected to mention these irrelevant facts.

[CRM114]

Of course they weren't. Everyone knows they were there for an illegal wire tapping seminar. It can't be because the people clapping were just as bitterly partisan as those speaking.

Do you think Mrs. King had conservative views?

[CRM114]

Don't you find it more than a bit ironic that Martin Luther King Jr. was illegally spied upon and wire-tapped under direct orders from President John F Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and President Lyndon Johnson...three Democrats held in very high esteem for their positive contributions to the modern Civil Rights movement.

Jimmy Carter conveniently neglected to mention these irrelevant facts.

Ironic indeed. And I agree. Irrelevant facts. Wiretaps did not require a warrant in those days. Factor in the red scare and Hoover.

[classicman2]

Don't you find it more than a bit ironic that Martin Luther King Jr. was illegally spied upon and wire-tapped under direct orders from President John F Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and President Lyndon Johnson...three Democrats held in very high esteem for their positive contributions to the modern Civil Rights movement.

Jimmy Carter conveniently neglected to mention these irrelevant facts.

Could you furnish a link that says JFK & LBJ ordered the wiretaps.

RFK obviously did.

[SkullOrchard]

Ironic indeed. And I agree. Irrelevant facts. Wiretaps did not require a warrant in those days. Factor in the red scare and Hoover.Tell you what...I'll factor in the red scare and Hoover, if you factor in the al-Qaeda scare and Osama. -wink-

[Bill Needle]

...three Democrats held in very high esteem for their positive contributions to the modern Civil Rights movement.
+
It was difficult for them personally, with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretapping.
= at the very least ironic.

But I would agree that it was all lost on Carter, because he was only really interested in making a partisan statement.

[Bill Needle]

Do you think Mrs. King had conservative views?
Well she wasn't clapping, was she?

[CRM114]

But I would agree that it was all lost on Carter, because he was only really interested in making a partisan statement.

A handful of Republicans questioning Alberto Gonzales didn't think of it as a partisan issue. The partisan position is defending the President's parsing of the 2001 authorization to circumvent the Constitution and Congress without knowing one scintilla of fact concerning the operation.

[SkullOrchard]

Could you furnish a link that says JFK & LBJ ordered the wiretaps.

RFK obviously did.
On October 10, 1963, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation to begin wiretapping the telephones of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. If you seriously choose to believe that President Kennedy wasn't fully aware of this action, I'll allow you that fantasy, sans rebuttal.

Concerning LBJ:
You should read Judgment Days : Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Laws That Changed America
by Nick Kotz (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618088253/103-1583293-1538251?v=glance&n=283155)

[Bill Needle]

Let's also not forget what was on those wiretaps: Dr. King arranging adulterous affairs...cheating on the woman Carter was "eulogizing." How appropriate. And the crowd roars their approval!

[Bill Needle]

A handful of Republicans questioning Alberto Gonzales didn't think of it as a partisan issue.
I must have missed that part of the funeral.

[Myster X]

http://www.sacredcowburgers.com/parodies/the_dream_corrupted.jpg

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006 1:12 p.m. EST
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton Blast Bush at King Service


The Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton lambasted President Bush Monday night at a memorial service in Atlanta for Coretta Scott King, faulting him for the Iraq war and for ignoring the plight of black people.

The two Democratic Party civil rights leaders "galvanized the crowd" during a three-hour service at the city's famed Ebenezer Baptist Church, as they blasted government figures like Bush for trying to make the King legacy their own, the Associated Press said.

"We can't let them take her from us and reduce her to their trophy and not our freedom fighter," Jackson railed.

"This is not a celebrity funeral," added Sharpton. "This is us coming to say thank you to a woman who took a bullet in her husband and kept on marching."

The dueling reverends excoriated Bush for the Hurricane Katrina disaster and for diverting the nation's resources to the Iraq war.

President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush attended Mrs. King's funeral on Tuesday, along with former first couple Bill and Hillary Clinton.

[Giantrobo]

http://www.sacredcowburgers.com/parodies/the_dream_corrupted.jpg




:lol: awesome!

[mseang]

The only reason anyone is upset about what was said at this funeral is because it was all TRUE. If it were not true, this thread would have died before it completed the second page.

One must only defend themselves over the truth... not lies.

[classicman2]

The only reason anyone is upset about what was said at this funeral is because it was all TRUE. If it were not true, this thread would have died before it completed the second page.

One must only defend themselves over the truth... not lies.

Nonsense!

Simply because something may be true does not mean it should be brought up at a funeral. You know, there is a thing called decorum.

[classicman2]

On October 10, 1963, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation to begin wiretapping the telephones of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. If you seriously choose to believe that President Kennedy wasn't fully aware of this action, I'll allow you that fantasy, sans rebuttal.

Concerning LBJ:
You should read Judgment Days : Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Laws That Changed America
by Nick Kotz (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618088253/103-1583293-1538251?v=glance&n=283155)

JFK was certainly aware of the surveillance the FBI was doing concerning the Civil Rights Movement in general. He'd heard the 'Mena, Arkansas story,' and it took it seriously.

The reason RFK ordered the wiretapping of MLK was because Hoover wanted it, and Hoover had leverage. He had the 'goods' on JFK. RFK knew that Hoover had surveillance records and photographs of JFK, because Hoover told RFK to come to office, and he showed them to him.

[Goldblum]

The only reason anyone is upset about what was said at this funeral is because it was all TRUE. If it were not true, this thread would have died before it completed the second page.

One must only defend themselves over the truth... not lies.
:lol:

[General Zod]

Nonsense!

Simply because something may be true does not mean it should be brought up at a funeral. You know, there is a thing called decorum.
There are some that hate so much that there is no low, there is no decorum, and there is no class. The way this service played out simply demonstrated that.

[coli]

I thought it was just disrepectful to bring anything political like that in a memorial service, kind of reminded of the Paul Wellstone memorial.

I really think there is just a lack of respect on both sides anymore toward the presidency. Whatever you think of GW Bush, and it goes both ways on what republicans thought of Bill Clinton, to me you should respect the president when you are around him. I was suprised seeing an ex-president Jimmy Carter talking about Katrina, and the other speakers talking about weapons of mass destruction and wire-tapping.

To me it is a memorial, and you try to be positive on what the person accomplished, and how she should be remembered, if you want to bitch about the president, do it at political rallies and you can preach to the choir.

[nemein]

The other spin I hadn't thought of yesterday, but some people are playing up now, is the campaigning Bill did for his wife? Not sure if people agree w/ that angle or not but hopefully most would agree that it was an inappropriate forum for campaigning.

[X]

That's what I was referring to when I remarked about her bobble head performance.

It harkens back to those glorious days of her being at the president's side, supporting what he said so strongly that she couldn't stop her head from reflexively nodding in agreement. You just know that was done as a reminder to people that she was his partner in running the country.

[Rogue588]

Nonsense!

Simply because something may be true does not mean it should be brought up at a funeral. You know, there is a thing called decorum.Frankly, looking at the person whose funeral it was, I don't think it was out of place. Now, if it was at Grandpa Munster's funeral, okay, that's outta place. However, there could've been more intelligent, media-whores (withOUT an agenda) that did the talking.

[General Zod]

Frankly, looking at the person whose funeral it was, I don't think it was out of place. Now, if it was at Grandpa Munster's funeral, okay, that's outta place. However, there could've been more intelligent, media-whores (withOUT an agenda) that did the talking.
I would say Grandpa Munster had as much to do with WMD's in Iraq as Coretta Scott King did.

[L Chabert Lover]

There are some that hate so much that there is no low, there is no decorum, and there is no class. The way this service played out simply demonstrated that.

Well said and truthfully said. Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are foul, obscene bigots of the worst kind with axes to grind. They think white Americans owe them everything for eternity because of what happened so long ago. Something that most of us here today didn't have any control over. But that doesn't matter to them. They're preaching hate and they're so full of hatred that any degree of class, morals, and professionalism they may have had are tossed out the window. They hate anyone and everyone who is a Republican and anyone and everyone who holds conservative views. They hold bigotry towards anyone who doesn't adhere to their politics, particularly whites. The only white people they give a damn about are those on the far left. Those like Cindy Sheehan. If she wasn't so anti Bush, Jackson and Sharpton wouldn't give a damn about her. But because she's playing their tune, both of them are buddy-buddy with her. Tasteless. They preach hatred and then hide behind the great views of Dr. and Mrs. King, but in reality they are nothing like Dr. and Mrs. King. Bill Cosby made some really good points about this awhile back by saying that everyone is responsible for themselves and that no one owes anybody anything. He was basically saying that if you want to succeed in life you should go out and work for it and not cry for welfare like Jackson and Sharpton are suggesting. Morgan Freeman has also made such comments. I'm sure Jackson and Sharpton just dismissed them as Oreo cookies.

As I said in another forum,

"Some eulogists, including former president Jimmy Carter, at Coretta Scott King's funeral used the event as an opportunity to bash President George W. Bush and his policies. This is the perfect example of how tasteless, unprofessional, and uncivil some of the anti Bush crowd is. They're so full of hatred that they'd stoop so low as to use a funeral for another political attack. They really must have no shame. They need to practice what they preach because they're certainly not following the advice and guidance of Dr. and Mrs. King.

President Bush comes out a winner in this because he acted with grace and didn't counter attack his attackers. He was there to honor Mrs. King. His attackers, on the other hand, are digging themselves deeper in the grave by always remaining in a negative light and exposing themselves as the bigots they are."

Carter, being a former president of the US, should know better than this, but he goes right ahead and acts like a tasteless jerk anyway.

[nemein]

Carter, being a former president of the US, should know better than this, but he goes right ahead and acts like a tasteless jerk anyway.

I think that's the biggest thing for me. I'm not offended by what was said I just found the whole thing tasteless/tacky.

[AGuyNamedMike]

We're being somewhat of an elitist, aren't we? ;)

You'd better believe it!

[dick_grayson]

:confused: I mean I guess I could have added something about the media overhyping it (as per the original thread) or the Dems bashing Bush (as per the 2nd thread) but I thought I'd go w/ something simple.


No, I know. I just thought it was amusing that this new title be so tame compared to the tone of the other two.

[mosquitobite]

:shrug: While I do consider it tasteless, I have to admit I would have found it much MORE tasteless at someone's funeral who was not in the public eye.

From what I've heard about CSK she was most likely a Democrat, whether that means she would have agreed with the speakers yesterday or not, who knows. If she did, and SHE wouldn't have been offended, what right do I have to feel opposed?

Maybe she would have wanted her death to be a platform for those issues.

Still, according to many on this thread, a lot found it repulsive. So I do have to quietly say good, because to me the TOPICS are repulsive, not where or who. ;)

[classicman2]

If she did, and SHE wouldn't have been offended, what right do I have to feel opposed?

I'm not offended. I just think it's totally tasteless and shows a complete lack of home training for those that participated in making those remarks.

[Brent L]

The event was to share memories of Coretta Scott King, remember her, and overall be a memorial service focused on her self and her overall life, and all that it meant to so many different people, of all different races.

By saying what some of these morons did at the service took the attention away from Coretta Scott King. Instead of the talk of the day after the service being about how wonderful the service was, leading to reflection of her life and everything else, the talk of the day has been what these people said against the President of the United States.

It doesn't matter if what they said was true or not, and it doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with what they said. What does matter is that the focus was put on someone else, the day and event that was to be about her and her life became yet another chance for politicians and others to make headline news and to take away the spotlight just so they could have yet another chance to shine.

It sickens and disgusts me that these people did this, on her day.

[nemein]

By saying what some of these morons did at the service took the attention away from Coretta Scott King.

:up: Agreed, the service took on a MUCH different tone after the Presidents left. It was a lot more like what I expected w/ people telling stories of their interaction w/ her, testimonies about faith and a lot more music/singing.

[CRM114]

I'm not offended. I just think it's totally tasteless and shows a complete lack of home training for those that participated in making those remarks.

Are you saying Mrs. King did not raise her daughter correctly?

[CRM114]

It sickens and disgusts me that these people did this, on her day.

The President shouldn't have attempted to capitalize on a political opportunity at a funeral for someone that opposed everything they stood for. :shrug:

Would the Kings have condoned cutting Social Security death benefits? I wonder if Mrs. King collected a death benefit?

Are you "disgusted" by Mrs. King's daughter's eulogy as well?

[CRM114]

:up: Agreed, the service took on a MUCH different tone after the Presidents left. It was a lot more like what I expected w/ people telling stories of their interaction w/ her, testimonies about faith and a lot more music/singing.

What does that tell you?

[nemein]

What does that tell you?

That some people can't help but be political no matter what the setting. It was perfectly proper for the Presidents to show up and say something in honor of CSK's contributions to society. To turn it into a political spectacle though is another story entirely IMHO. Be honest what would your reaction have been if Bush got up there and touted some new politcal agenda/outreach attempt to minorities or somehow equated the fight in the civil rights movement to the current WoT?

[nemein]

The President shouldn't have attempted to capitalize on a political opportunity at a funeral for someone that opposed everything they stood for. :shrug:



What is he trying to capitalize on here, or are you saying his merely showing up was an attempt to capitalize on something?

THE PRESIDENT: To the King Family, distinguished guests and fellow citizens. We gather in God's house, in God's presence, to honor God's servant, Coretta Scott King. Her journey was long, and only briefly with a hand to hold. But now she leans on everlasting arms. I've come today to offer the sympathy of our entire nation at the passing of a woman who worked to make our nation whole.

Americans knew her husband only as a young man. We knew Mrs. King in all the seasons of her life -- and there was grace and beauty in every season. As a great movement of history took shape, her dignity was a daily rebuke to the pettiness and cruelty of segregation. When she wore a veil at 40 years old, her dignity revealed the deepest trust in God and His purposes. In decades of prominence, her dignity drew others to the unfinished work of justice. In all her years, Coretta Scott King showed that a person of conviction and strength could also be a beautiful soul. This kind and gentle woman became one of the most admired Americans of our time. She is rightly mourned, and she is deeply missed.

Some here today knew her as a girl, and saw something very special long before a young preacher proposed. She once said, "Before I was a King, I was a Scott." And the Scotts were strong, and righteous, and brave in the face of wrong. Coretta eventually took on the duties of a pastor's wife, and a calling that reached far beyond the doors of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

In that calling, Dr. King's family was subjected to vicious words, threatening calls in the night, and a bombing at their house. Coretta had every right to count the cost, and step back from the struggle. But she decided that her children needed more than a safe home -- they needed an America that upheld their equality, and wrote their rights into law. (Applause.) And because this young mother and father were not intimidated, millions of children they would never meet are now living in a better, more welcoming country. (Applause.)

In the critical hours of the civil rights movement, there were always men and women of conscience at the heart of the drama. They knew that old hatreds ran deep. They knew that nonviolence might be answered with violence. They knew that much established authority was against them. Yet they also knew that sheriffs and mayors and governors were not ultimately in control of events; that a greater authority was interested, and very much in charge. (Applause.)

The God of Moses was not neutral about their captivity. The God of Isaiah and the prophets was still impatient with injustice. And they knew that the Son of God would never leave them or forsake them.

But some had to leave before their time -- and Dr. King left behind a grieving widow and little children. Rarely has so much been asked of a pastor's wife, and rarely has so much been taken away. Years later, Mrs. King recalled, "I would wake up in the morning, have my cry, then go in to them. The children saw me going forward." Martin Luther King, Jr. had preached that unmerited suffering could have redemptive power.

Little did he know that this great truth would be proven in the life of the person he loved the most. Others could cause her sorrow, but no one could make her bitter. By going forward with a strong and forgiving heart, Coretta Scott King not only secured her husband's legacy, she built her own. (Applause.) Having loved a leader, she became a leader. And when she spoke, America listened closely, because her voice carried the wisdom and goodness of a life well lived.

In that life, Coretta Scott King knew danger. She knew injustice. She knew sudden and terrible grief. She also knew that her Redeemer lives. She trusted in the name above every name. And today we trust that our sister Coretta is on the other shore -- at peace, at rest, at home. (Applause.) May God bless you, and may God bless our country. (Applause.)

[bhk]

Bush can't do anything right in CRM's eyes. If he wouldn't have come it would have been a great insult to black people.

[Bill Needle]

What does that tell you?
What most people already know: That Carter and the other fools were using a funeral for political grandstanding. That not only was Carter a miserable failure as a president, he doesn't make much of a human being either. He is one of the most eternally embittered people I have ever seen. Too bad after Carter went on about how Hurricanes don't like black people the president didn't get up to the mike and say, "Well, there you go again."

[General Zod]

Bush can't do anything right in CRM's eyes. If he wouldn't have come it would have been a great insult to black people.
Exactly. And we'd be having thread after thread with CRM happily joining in crowing about how this is proof Bush doesn't care about black people, blah blah blah. So damn him for going there, damn him if he doesn't.

He went to pay his respects. He said nice things. He said NOTHING partisan in his remarks. He wasn't looking for a fight. It's amazing people are defending the pathetic low class shown by some yesterday, but at the same time i'm really not surprised.

[CRM114]

I only defended Carter and Bernice King. I'm still wondering if the "outraged" conservatives had a problem with Bernice King's remarks? Did Bush attend Rosa Parks funeral?

[bhk]

Carter was the worst one.

[classicman2]

I only defended Carter and Bernice King. I'm still wondering if the "outraged" conservatives had a problem with Bernice King's remarks? Did Bush attend Rosa Parks funeral?

Was Bush even in the country?

[bhk]

Was Bush even in the country?
That SOB, he hightailed it out of the country just so he wouldn't have to attend.

[Myster X]

Carter was the worst one.

Liar! Gerald Ford didn't attend all. No respect I'll tell you.

[crazyronin]

I just watched the Carter segment. Very slick how he slipped the illegal wiretapping of MLK by Nixon in there. Very slick. :)

You and John Kerry seem to have a tough time remembering when Nixon became President.

January 20, 1969

-ohbfrank-

MLK was dead by then, murdered in 1968.

Looking for secret wiretappers? look to Kennedy and Johnson

[CRM114]

Turn the page, dude. :lol: (BTW, Kennedy didn't need a warrant. :p)

[Bill Needle]

No fair! John Kerry was in Cambodia fighting Nixon's illegal war while Johnson was president! How was he supposed to know who did what?

[CRM114]

No fair! John Kerry was in Cambodia fighting Nixon's illegal war while Johnson was president! How was he supposed to know who did what?

Unlike some young men.

[crazyronin]

Turn the page, dude. :lol: (BTW, Kennedy didn't need a warrant. :p)

Oh really? I hadn't realized that the fourth ammendment wasn't ratified til 1971.

:shrug:

[Bell65]

the dems just dotn get it, just liek when wellstone died...funerals for political rallies r totally disrespectful...big ups to clinton and w. bush for acknowledging that they were ata funeral!

[CRM114]

Oh really? I hadn't realized that the fourth ammendment wasn't ratified til 1971.

:shrug:

The 4th amendment? rotfl Hell, that still doesn't apply apparently.

In 1963, federal wiretaps only required the authorization of the Attorney General.

[crazyronin]

The 4th amendment? rotfl Hell, that still doesn't apply apparently.

In 1963, federal wiretaps only required the authorization of the Attorney General.
Glad to see your support for wiretapping then.

[dick_grayson]

since people seem to enjoy my posting of Daily Show clips

Daily Show: Headlines - Memorial Day
Speakers at Coretta Scott King's funeral talk about Bush as if he isn't right behind them.

http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=58672

[Myster X]

the dems just dotn get it, just liek when wellstone died...funerals for political rallies r totally disrespectful...big ups to clinton and w. bush for acknowledging that they were ata funeral!

I made a generalization and got slapped by a mod

[Myster X]

How people who are so well-known and become a low-life overnight puzzles me.

Dad Slams Attack On Bush At King Rite

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/10/politics/printable1303595.shtml

CBS) Former President George H.W. Bush has expressed dismay and anger at attacks on his son, President Bush, at the funeral for Coretta Scott King.

"In terms of the political shots at the president who was sitting there with his wife, I didn't like it and I thought it was kind of ugly frankly," the former president said in an exclusive radio interview with CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.

"Anybody that shoots at the president of the United States at a funeral, I just didn't appreciate that," Mr. Bush added.

Former President Carter and the Rev. Joseph Lowery criticized the president during remarks they made at the King funeral in Atlanta.

The Rev. Lowery, who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King Jr., drew a roaring standing ovation when he said: "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor" - a takeoff on a line from a Stevie Wonder song. The comment drew head shakes from Mr. Bush and his father as theysat behind the pulpit.

Former President Carter brought up the government response to Katrina, saying, "We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi" to know that inequality exists. He also noted that the Kings once were "victims of secret government wiretapping" - echoing Mr. Bush's domestic spying program.

Former President Bush also had praise for his friend, Bill Clinton: "I thought President Clinton was maybe the best. It was his crowd. They talk about Bill Clinton being 'the first black president,' well when you walk into that church with 12,000 or whatever it was, I mean it was very clear who that crowd loved and respected."