And spare me your phoniness, your arrogance, your utter contempt for anyone who differs with the warped views of you and other right-wing bastards, your astounding hypocrisy...

It is ridiculous and unenforceable to expect people to leave morals behind when they enter a building where you are suppose to learn them - regulate and tax instead.

*Yawn*

Spare me your ridiculous assumptions, along with your tired conclusions that just because someone doesn't share all your ideological views that they're somehow right wing. Oh, and next time I'll be sure to run my posts through you for your holy approval before they're officially posted.

from AEP9:
LOL....don't ever use class and George Bush in the same sentence, it just doesn't work. Oh and newsflash--Bush left halfway thru the service.

Okay, let's put this into context. I'll use small words so MIB will understand:

Coretta Scott King (and her husband, Martin Luther King) were Civil Rights leaders. They were also opposed to war. Their house was bombed. Their phone was bugged.

The funeral was for Coretta Scott King. It doesn't seem possible to have a funeral for a Civil Rights leader without talking about Civil Rights, now, does it?

Yes, President Bush should have been squirming in his seat. As a man who started a war on the basis of a lie (or, if you care to believe it, faulty intelligence), he went to the funeral of a pacifist. Yes, pacifism seems to make President Bush -- and the American government uncomfortable (which is why they plant agents to spy on Quaker meetings in Lake Worth, Florida).

And yes, the Kings were spied upon -- without warrants. So yes, these things, and the way she responded, are ALL relevant at her funeral.

See, not so tough to understand.

Then why are more and more Democrats, including Andrew Young, coming out and criticizing the politicization of the funeral?

How does one "politicize" the funeral of a political activist?
Was the Reagan funeral "politicized"? Of course. He was a politician. People may have mentioned he was a husband and father and a former actor and whatever but his main mark (like it or not and I don't) was as a politician. Ms. King was a wife and mother and former singer but her main mark was as an activist for civil rights, peace and economic and social justices. She called Cindy Sheehan, for example, during Camp Casey.
Dr. King specifically said that he wanted his funeral to be political. And when he eulogized the four girls killed in the church bombing, he was explicitly and forthrightly political.
And do not forget the King family chose the speakers. Don't they get a say in their own mother's funeral?
Let us suppose that the response to Hurricane Katrina had been both competent and compassionate, and that some speakers at Ms. King's funeral cited that as an example of how her dream was being fulfilled, that this administration had responded in the best possible manner to a natural disaster that mostly affected Black and poor people. And everyone applauded. Would that have been a bad thing, politicizing a funeral?
Let's say it outright. Bush is above criticism. Well, he heard more in that funeral than he probably has his whole life, during which every mistake and screw up was fixed by a wealthy powerful family. Bush is sheltered by rehearsed and hand picked audiences of adorers, protesters are kept miles from him, he does not even read the newspapers. Isn't the real problem NOT that the funeral of a political activist was political but that the political statements were critical of someone who is never supposed to hear anything but adoration?

I was unaware that a sampling involving only Andrew Young can be considered "More and more democrats". However, Reverend Lowery has appeared on numerous shows with people who disagree with him vehemently after the funeral (Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough), and he keeps saying the same thing -- "My comments were not about me, or George W. Bush. They were about Coretta Scott King."

Also, why does pointing out that there were no WMDs a problem? Isn't that the TRUTH? Given that King and his wife opposed the war in Vietnam and all such unjustifiable excursions into warmaking, what was problematic about that?

Let's also not forget that no only was Martin Luther King Jr.'s house firebombed; not only was he wiretapped; not only was he jailed for civil disobedience; not only was he attacked in Alabama; not only was he repeatedly threatened with assassination wherever he went; not only was he stabbed and nearly killed in New York City (of all places); not only did he witness the brutal attacks against Blacks and their White allies in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and elswhere; but he was ASSASSINATED. So it seems to me that something rather basic is being forgotten with this idea that his wife's funeral should have been all sweetness and light. The fact that George W. Bush, like his father, opposed many of the central tenets of his life and activism, and his wife's life and activism, should not be lost in the shuffle. It was dandy of Warrantless Wiretapper and Mrs. Laura to show up, like Poppy, but at the same time, he doesn't get a clean slate. Hell, Coretta Scott King repeatedly called for equal rights for homosexuals! She didn't have to do this, but she believed in it. So Lowery's mentioning that, even though a slap to WW, was telling the truth.

Reagan's funeral was heavily politicized. We were told basically that this man was the greatest thing that ever walked this earth. I'm sorry, I lived through his 8 years as President, and I beg to differ. But hey, let people make myths. Some eulogists of Reagan have told the truth, and more power to them. There seems to be a real fear of the truth, facts and reality on the right, and it's quite sad, especially when it gets down to denying science and so on.

Yes, there are Black people who may not have liked what Lowery had to say. But he knew King and Mrs. King all their adult lives. If there was anyone who should have been testifying, from the heart, it was him. Whatever he had to say, even if it just mumbo jumbo (LOL).

[ February 09, 2006, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

First of all, he was a politician, not a civil rights minister. Secondly, lauding someone as a great man isn't politicizing. Had Reagan's eulogists said stuff that bashed his Democratic opponents or ripped his own policies, etc., then that would have been politicizing.

Mrs. King had eloquence and grace. It is clear that many of her eulogists did not.

MIB, I'm sure we can both agree that the current administration lead by George W. is in stark contrast to many beliefs espoused by Mrs. King.

Just wanted to know if you would have criticized the King family if they had requested George W. stay in Washington? Would that have added any politics to her funeral?

Asking W to stay in washington would have shown class, so no.. doesnt fit their mold.

To be honest with you, I don't think I would have. I would have been profoundly disappointed, in all likelihood.

I will say this, though: I do not believe at all that President Bush is a racist. Not one bit. Actually, it ticks me off when people call him that. I can find fault in him on many things, but one thing he is not is a racist.

In looking at this thread, I don't think that ANYBODY here has called him a racist. I DO think, though, that his dedication to the civil rights of the people he governs can be called into serious doubt. And that goes for the civil rights of people of all colors.

No more politics in churches? Ok. So never again to be uttered in a church:

“You shall not murder”—politics of unjustified wars, political assassinations, allowing starvation and/or disease while holding the means to prevent it…………..

“You shall not steal”—politics of pensions wiped out, American Indian territories, gifts from corrupt lobbyists

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”—politics of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house”—politics of Middle East oil

Wow, church would sure be different!

So much for “faith based initiatives”.

The only thing that is outrageous is that a line of people who hated everything Ms. King, and Dr. King, stood for, most of them white and male, are now coming out of the woodwork and claiming some kind of god-given right to dictate what should be said at her funeral.

I mean, when people are dying in Iraq, lost their homes in Katrina, losing their food stamps and tuition aid, losing their jobs and health care, saddled with a deficit that will take generations to pay off, losing their civil rights and civil liberties, watching the environment be destroyed, in order to pursue a war based on lies and obscene wealth for a tiny handful - all policies that Ms. King and Dr. King opposed - they are supposed to say nothing because po' l'il Dubya can't be embarrassed?

*standing ovation*

Hear, hear Ms. D B!!

Poor W. during Coretta Scott King's funeral. If I liked the guy even a little bit I might have felt sorry for him in a room where as Jon Stewart said "the only person who voted for him was his wife-and maybe his dad"!

Uh, that's not a commandment, but thanks for playing!

This says volumes about you as a human being, and none of it's good. Quite sad.

Apologist, much? Mighty Christian.

since it seems that virtiol is the only tolerated theme, i'll join in and say i can't watit to use carter's grave as a urinal.

You can always practice on Raygun's or Nixon's. Just leave Dwight Eisenhower out of it, and aim straight.

Please. If you can hold a candle to former President James Earl Carter, let us know. Thanks.

Vitriol, I think was meant.

Not that what was heard at Ms. King's funeral constitutes vitriol, but hey, what's a fact?

Fantomas, let's hope he can aim straighter than Cheney.

Dodging the issue again, I see. At least you're consistent.

The King's eldest daughter Yolanda has died. She was 51.

http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=...n_mlkjrdaughter

How sad that Ms. Yolanda King has passed on. RIP.

I didn't know much about "Yoki", but it seems she had a lot of dignity. My thoughts are for the family. Yoki and I are the same age, one month apart.

TRL

My goodness...just 51 years old. Thats ashame. She was the most outspoken of the King children. May she rest in peace.

Her death at such a young age is very sad. As MLK Jr. and Coretta Scott King's children go, she really reached out to a wide array of people and had the greatest impact.