Comments on: 40 Years Later: Martin Luther King, The Greatest American Of All Time http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/ Like Kryptonite To Stupid Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:12:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: jerry http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89842 jerry Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:27:17 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89842 It's probably an icky game to play on my part, but of all the assassinations in the sixties, if as time traveler, I could pick just one, JFK and possibly stop Vietnam (and thus stop Iraq and other "Vietnam redo"s), or MLK and try to end much earlier the american experience with racism? Really hard to say. Although I do think that MLK would have a bigger role to play post 60s as American Elder Statesman than JFK. Anyway, my idiocy aside, what a terrific speech and thank god and engineers for television cameras. It’s probably an icky game to play on my part, but of all the assassinations in the sixties, if as time traveler, I could pick just one, JFK and possibly stop Vietnam (and thus stop Iraq and other “Vietnam redo”s), or MLK and try to end much earlier the american experience with racism? Really hard to say. Although I do think that MLK would have a bigger role to play post 60s as American Elder Statesman than JFK.

Anyway, my idiocy aside, what a terrific speech and thank god and engineers for television cameras.

]]> By: Angry African http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89832 Angry African Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:30:04 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89832 I never noticed it before. It has been there for a while. This picture of Martin Luther King Jr on our fridge door. I hardly look at the fridge door, but there it was. Amongst all the fridge magnets and numbers and pictures of the kids. But what made me stop was that the picture was of a white Martin Luther King Jr. My young daughter made this great man white. And I couldn’t be prouder. I think he would be proud. I know she will continue to live his dream. http://angryafrican.net/2008/03/16/martin-luther-king-jr-is-white/ I never noticed it before. It has been there for a while. This picture of Martin Luther King Jr on our fridge door. I hardly look at the fridge door, but there it was. Amongst all the fridge magnets and numbers and pictures of the kids. But what made me stop was that the picture was of a white Martin Luther King Jr. My young daughter made this great man white. And I couldn’t be prouder. I think he would be proud. I know she will continue to live his dream. http://angryafrican.net/2008/03/16/martin-luther-king-jr-is-white/

]]> By: anotherbozo http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89831 anotherbozo Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:11:53 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89831 Just checked Wickipedia and apparently it's true: "He entered Morehouse College at age fifteen..." His speeches, aimed at Mr. and Mrs. Everybody, don't reflect how bright he was. He must've had intellect to burn (cf. Letter from Birmingham Jail), but that was nothing compared to his heart and his courage... Half his life he walked around with a bulls-eye on his chest. Just checked Wickipedia and apparently it’s true: “He entered Morehouse College at age fifteen…” His speeches, aimed at Mr. and Mrs. Everybody, don’t reflect how bright he was. He must’ve had intellect to burn (cf. Letter from Birmingham Jail), but that was nothing compared to his heart and his courage… Half his life he walked around with a bulls-eye on his chest.

]]> By: I'm a Hick http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89796 I'm a Hick Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:07:22 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89796 Calvin, Yep. And hundreds of soldiers, firemen, policemen, other civil rights activists, etc., willing to take that risk, whose names I'll never know. Calvin,

Yep. And hundreds of soldiers, firemen, policemen, other civil rights activists, etc., willing to take that risk, whose names I’ll never know.

]]> By: The Mantis http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89791 The Mantis Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:51:30 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89791 The best part of that speech is that he was so drained and tired at the beginning, but you see him summon this otherworldly passion, this fire that comes out of nowhere, to the point that when he finally finishes, he practically collapses off the dias, and you half expect his colleagues to rush over and cover him in his training robe, a la James Brown. WATCHING this speech is an incredibly moving experience. The best part of that speech is that he was so drained and tired at the beginning, but you see him summon this otherworldly passion, this fire that comes out of nowhere, to the point that when he finally finishes, he practically collapses off the dias, and you half expect his colleagues to rush over and cover him in his training robe, a la James Brown. WATCHING this speech is an incredibly moving experience.

]]> By: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89779 Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:52:48 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89779 I'm a Hick: I forget whether it was King, or maybe Malcolm X, who indeed said they understood the risks they were taking. All the great ones face that though. Look at Gandhi. I’m a Hick:
I forget whether it was King, or maybe Malcolm X, who indeed said they understood the risks they were taking. All the great ones face that though. Look at Gandhi.

]]> By: I'm a Hick http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89765 I'm a Hick Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:49:13 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89765 I think what made his career all the more remarkable is that he carried it out having to know, I imagine, how it would eventually end. I think what made his career all the more remarkable is that he carried it out having to know, I imagine, how it would eventually end.

]]> By: old white guy http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89748 old white guy Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:53:06 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89748 I have recently read a few of Dr. King's speeches given in less public forums and a few papers he wrote. Dr. King was brilliant and I had not known that before, not really. We would be living in a much better world if he had lived, I think. I have recently read a few of Dr. King’s speeches given in less public forums and a few papers he wrote. Dr. King was brilliant and I had not known that before, not really. We would be living in a much better world if he had lived, I think.

]]> By: Mike http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89744 Mike Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:42:12 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/04/40-years-later-martin-luther-king-the-greatest-american-of-all-time/#comment-89744 Damn right. Damn right.

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