Just heard this great lady has left us. Rest in peace, Mrs. King.

Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, free at last. Indeed she is, as she has left her earthly confines and has been reunited with her husband for all eternity. May the Lord welcome her with open arms, and may eternal rest be hers.

She was a classy lady and I just can't stop tearing up today.
How she felt about us.

Her role in her husband's mission was vital. What a shame society hasn't kept up the march to assist the poor and end useless, imperialist wars like the one we're currently embroiled in.

[ January 31, 2006, 07:55 AM: Message edited by: Bill W ]

What's worse is the degrading of the foundation by her sons in her latter years.

With the passing of Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, a generation of freedom fighters and civil rights leaders is passing. Who will take their place? Who will young people look up to? Who will be their role models?

Unfortunately, probably rap and hip-hop artists.

I believe there is a gentleman by the name of Barak Obama who might be up to the task.

[ January 31, 2006, 04:23 PM: Message edited by: eddiecat ]

I was very saddened when I heard the news this morning of Mrs. King's death. With the recent passing of Rosa Parks and C. Dolores Tucker, we have lost 3 amazing pioneers of the Civil Rights Era. It came out of the blue to me because I thought she was recovering from her heart attack and stroke and she had just made an appearance at a King Day event earlier this month. Mrs. King was the epitome of class and grace. For those of us in the black community, she was the closest thing we've had to a first lady. She didn't stand behind her husband...she stood NEXT to him. They were partners and in reality she sacrificed her husband for the sake of making this country a better place. I find it quite ironic that she died on the day that a man was sworn into the Supreme Court who has a history of beliefs that are not civil rights sensitive. Rosa Parks I believe also died around the same time of the Roberts appointment.

What concerns me is the impact her death will have on the youth in the black community. There is no sense of collectivism and unity and I really fear for the direction of us. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have been sorry substitutes and the priorities of many are not in the right place. There are plenty though who do have a sense of community. The media does a good job of making the country and the world think we are ALL self absorbed, lazy, materialistic, etc. which is not the case. However, there are still too many that are whose role models are rappers and sports stars rather than teachers, political leaders, and their elders. We are falling behind and face a grim future and I hope someone steps up to the plate to knock some sense into today's generation who just doesn't get it.

In addition, perhaps the worst aspect of Mrs. King's death for black gays is the fact that there is absolutely no one I can think of who will now stand up, as she did in the intensely homophobic African-American community, for GLBT individuals and people with AIDS. The black community will probably become even more intensely homophobic, as it now appears to do with each passing day, amid the nearly complete vacuum of anyone of any real consequence willing to stand up and fight for true and lasting tolerance and human rights in this country. The continuing fight for civil rights for people of color would benefit significantly from a true and genuine alliance with GLBT individuals. However, the chances of that happening are even worse than the chances of raising Martin Luther King, Jr., from his early grave.


::sighs:: Rest in Peace Mrs. King. You are at peace with your husband now. Thank you for all that you gave and all that you stood for.

[ January 31, 2006, 07:28 PM: Message edited by: ltskinmdterp ]

No way. He lost all credibility when he lied about filibusters and voted contrary to what he was speechifying on Sunday's news shows. He is, sadly, a tool.

MIB please take that tripe off this thread. You are disgracing the memory of a wonderful woman!

Hardly. I simply pointed out something but do not intend to elaborate any further in this thread. I posted something about her death earlier.

RIP, Mrs. King.

I hope this isn't inappropriate to say, but I found Mrs. King to still be a beautiful woman at her age. Maybe it's because, in some way, she reminds me of my late maternal grandmother. Mrs. King had the same overall look.

It's irrelevant, of course, what Mrs. King looked like, but I honestly believe that she was a lovely lady, in every sense of the word.

MIB I'm sorry I was so brash. I can tell you appreciated this wonderful woman who many greatly admired and loved. I just didn't want this thread to go down some awful place.

Oh man ltskinmdterp, you really nailed it with this post. Mrs. King's death hit me hard--she's worked so tirelessly since her husband's death that it's difficult to imagine a world without her. I particularly admired her for being a black champion for gay rights long before it was fashionable to do so, and especially during a time when certain politicians float silly marriage amendments just to get elected. I also admired her for being the ultimate "ride or die chick"--she stayed by a man who was imperfect and not always faithful, yet she recognized the importance of his message and carried the torch.

The number of icons and heroes/heroines from her era are dwindling quickly in number, which is incredibly sad. I have mixed feelings about what this all means for us black folk. On the one hand, I like the idea of having a grassroot effort towards upliftment--one of the problems with the civil rights movement is that it was too dependent on particular leaders, such that when they left us, the movement lost direction. If we all do our part, at a local and national level, perhaps things can continue. But at the same time, I see how our youth have lost their inspiration, or are inspired by counterproductive things--Malcolm and Martin have been replaced by Jay-Z and Kobe. So in effect, we need icons like Mrs. King to help us stay focused and keep our eyes on the prize.

But there is hope, specially for queer folks of color. There are a lot of great thinkers and icons in the making--people I admire like Keith Boykin or Kenji Yoshino. But it's times like these when I feel like I should quit my job, study community development at the London School of Economics, and go back to my hometown to make it bigger and brighter for black folks, gay and straight alike.

I remember seeing Mrs. King on an interview with Oprah. I really liked what I saw...a down-to-earth woman who truly believed in the cause she fought for. She never searched out the camera or the press. She did what she did due to her convictions and beliefs, not for the media or the next clever sound bite. I too worry about today's youth, the message of Dr. King being lost, and the vacuum of power among Black leaders. I see no one of Dr. King's caliber coming down the pike. Rest in peace Corretta, your work is done.

[ January 31, 2006, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: millerbeach ]

(Tip o' the hat to Andrew Sullivan)

How on earth does someone as important to our national identity wind up in a place like this in her final days? I feel like her family has some answering to do. If Mrs. Kings's prognosis was terminal she deserved to die at home or near home, near her loved ones, with some familiar possessions, with qualified medical personnel at the ready to ease her pain, lighten her load and assist her journey.

Mexican clinic where King died is closed by authorities

I had thought of the same thing, MM. On the news today they commented that she had ovarian cancer and that because this type of cancer is so deadly, her family said they were desperate to find some alternative form of medicine that might help.

I guess I can understand their feeling. If one is facing desperation, one often tries desperate measures.

Incredible that Ms. Scott King is lying in-state in the GEORGIA capitol. An African American woman! Once in awhile I really do feel proud to be an American...

It is only fitting, bucco, that she be there. Too bad she isn't at the U.S. Capitol as well.

The funeral of Coretta Scott King was absolutely magnificent. 4 of the 5 living Presidents were there and spoke. Senators, governors, congressmen, congresswomen, celebrities. The speeches were wonderful from most, especially Bill Clinton, who, unlike most, spoke from the heart and is such a great orator. He received a RESOUNDING standing ovation that put the other 3 presidents there to shame! The older president Bush sounded like a bumbling mess and seemed uncomfortable having to speak in front of all those "colored" folk. He lost a page in his speech and just really ended up looking like a jackass. Where was Babs Bush? Home hopefully and safe from having to open her mouth and utter some other insensitive remark. Reverend Lowery's comments jabbing Bush and the current administration were priceless and NECESSARY as Coretta stood for the things he does not (anti-war, the poor, gay and lesbian rights). Maya Angelou was fabulous and the most touching speech came from Malcolm X's daughter who talked about the bond they developed I mean I could go on and on about some of the great speeches, as well as the glorious music. It was just extraordinary to see such a gathering.

It was a true celebration of the life of a remarkable woman who embodied the grace and elegance of her generation, while at the same time rising above them to take a hard stand on inequality and continued to do so until her final breath. I liked the fact that more than one speaker commented on the fact that she stood for equality for all people, including gays and lesbians. Again, one of the most depressing aspects of her death for me, as a man of color who is gay, is that there is no one of her prominence in the black community that is going to put themselves out there to stand up for gay rights.

[ February 07, 2006, 07:55 PM: Message edited by: ltskinmdterp ]

Quite the contrary, the politicization of the funeral "service" was disgusting and pathetic. Shame on ANYone who makes such a somber, mournful but joyful service into a political trashing of someone.

I don't give a damn who the hell is the victim of such bashing. It's totally uncalled for and purely reprehensible. The service was almost as bad as that abhorrent Wellstone memorial a few years ago. Democrats paid dearly for their stupidity then. They ought to pay dearly now.

Jimmy Carter and Rev. Lowery are truly pathetic scumbags to politicize the funeral. I began watching with tears in my eyes and pleasant memories of Mrs. King. That turned to disgust and anger at what I saw morph into utter bullshit.

Do you liberals not have one goddamned sense of decency left in your f@#$%^& bones?!? :mad: :mad:

You bitch and moan when the "Rev." Phelps protests funerals of fallen troops because of God's supposed hating of homosexuality in America, but you applaud liberals turning Mrs. King's funeral service into a bash Bush whenever you can fest.

How much lower can you go? :mad:

[ February 07, 2006, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: MIB ]

The comparison of the actions of Phelps and his scumbags to the speakers at Mrs. King's funeral is reprehensible, even for you.

[ February 07, 2006, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Lowry's comments were inappropriate.
Five hours for a f**kin' funeral was inappropriate.

At the four hour mark I began to get annoyed that Jerry Lewis had yet to come out, and it was equally annoying that they wouldn't say how much $$$ had been raised during the Telethon.

Please note: you may get pissed over my candor, but at least I didn't bring up Fred Phelps.

More power to Lowery and everyone else who spoke up. That man has spent his entire life in struggle against racist scumbags, so he has the right to preach and testify as he sees fit. I love that George H.W. Bush, who couldn't be bothered to support the Voting Rights Acts and race-baited his opponent Mike Dukakis, actually showed up.

As for his son...well, he's shown more than once he "don't like Black people," as Kanye West so eloquently put it. I'd say a far-more fitting tribute to the memory of Coretta Scott King would be for Warrantless to do something about the horrible state of affairs in New Orleans, which has lost 80% of its Black population, and the Mississippi gulf coast, which is still in very bad shape and where many Black and White residents are still suffering. FEMA continues its screwups, and tomorrow, many of the evacuees are set to be thrown out of the hotels or motels, or whatever other temporary shelters they found.

Meanwhile the most recent Republican budget is slashing funding for any number of domestic programs, to the extent that Republicans like MIB's flava fave John McCain and "worthless" Olympia Snowe are protesting.

He could have sent Mrs. Laura and been done with it. Warrantless Wiretapper, a heck of a job!

Interesting that Bush's people let him "do" this "event." I actually admire him for showing up; they had to know that some would attack him...Don't get me wrong: his policies have not helped black folk one iota ...But he was there.

I give President George W. Bush great credit for appearing at Coretta Scott King's funeral. I think his words were sincere and that she would have appreciated them.

MLK's daughter Bernice was the least appealing with her sermon - as boring as her constant incomprehensible claims that her father did not die to give rights to homosexuals, as though he were oblivious to Bayard Rustin's orientation.

For Carter and Lowery to not have made reference to the "domestic spying" that was used to gather information to smear MLK by agents of the USA government would have been an equally unforgiveable slight to the work of both MLK and CSK.

Maya Angelou was incredible. Her poetic passion stood out like a flame among ashes. And that soon to be 77 year old mezzo reverberates with sustained power.

[ February 08, 2006, 05:45 AM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

It, well said and I couldn't agree with you more. All of the speeches made were of high relevance to the things that Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King felt so very strongly about. Interesting that at first Shrub was going to give another photo op somewhere else, in New Hampshire I believe, but at the last minute changed his mind, and decided to show up at the funeral.

[ February 08, 2006, 06:11 AM: Message edited by: hockeyTom ]

I watched an hour or so (the most controversial hour or so) on CSPAN last night. I missed W's address. My thoughts on what I saw:

Lowery -- a great pubilc speaker and gifted orator. His WMD reference was a political stab, but I am happy he did it if only to *finally* place W in a room with people who clearly disagree with him. Seriously, this was probably the first public appearance where W's folks didn't hand pick the audience and manipulate the message.

Angelou -- Grace. Pure and simple. I love this woman.

Bush 41 -- his presence, for me, proved that the apple sometimes falls far from the tree and rolls down a hill into a pile of horse sh*t. Bush 41 was charming, if a bit flustered, funny, intelligent, elegant and gentlemanly. Much like comparing the Kennedy kids to their parents, seeing Bush 41 makes me wish his kids were as good.

Carter -- his reference to wiretapping, while a direct hit against the current administration's illegal activity, was a valid reminder to the crowd of the lengths to which the government intruded on the lives of MLK and CSK and the bravery they both showed by not letting it stop them. The Katrina reference was another slap at this administration, but also a broader condemnation of our society's inability or lack of will at addressing issues of poverty and race.

Clinton -- the most captivating public speaker I have ever seen. His gift of holding an audience, of weaving a story and of praising CSK ("let us not forget that there is a woman in [the casket]") all came together as the perfect eulogy.

Hillary -- see my comments re Bush 41. She ain't no Bill.

Does anyone know why George W. decided against attending the Rosa Parks funeral but chose to attend Mrs. King's?

1. Because he's an idiot who just needs to go away.

2. King's funeral was more publicized, the entire thing was broadcast. More of a chance for people to say "See, he likes black people, he went to her funeral"

Has George H.W. Bush ever apologized for campaigning against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in his losing Senate campaign?

Words, words, meaningless words. Shame on whoever allowed this brave woman's funeral to be turned into a political circus.

On the contrary, they're quite appropriate. People rightly complain about Phelps politicizing funerals by protesting (besides the fact that he's an idiot period), yet they condone what happened at King's funeral. In neither venue were the actions that occurred appropriate or acceptable.

It doesn't surprise me that some here are praising such blatantly inappropriate actions. Such support comes from those who are so filled with ideological blindness that it has left them with the inability to tell right from wrong. It's kinda sad, to tell you the truth.

I am in complete agreement with Bill W. above when he says:



[ February 08, 2006, 07:42 AM: Message edited by: MIB ]

MIB, once again you prove you're an idiot for making any comparisons between this and anything that Phelps does. Here's a little hint for you:
"Shhhhhhhhh!"

Maybe some of the more political comments could be considered inappropriate, but why? Corretta Scott King and Dr. King were VERY political in their beliefs and actions. I have a feeling that had CSK been speaking at her own funeral she would have said the same things!

And equal case could be made that it was inappropriate for Bush to be there at all considering his positions are almost always in opposition to those that would help the black community. The only reason he was there was for show.

No one said a person does not have the right to say something stupid.

In addition to a cell phone, there are some things that just don't belong in a church service, and one of these is politics. If that's going to be accepted, then the IRS ought to immediately revoke the tax exempt status of that church, along with that of any Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish church or synagogue who engages in the same.

And you know this how?

And re. the Phelps issue with you: Oh! The hypocrisy!

...uhh...no, I've never complained about Phelps.

..simple....because I'm way smarter than you.

A physical impossibility, but a nice retort. I'm rather impressed.

There may be some hope for you yet.

How about the SBC churches who regularly crap all over everyone who's not a right winger, and even distribute political materials, and tell their parishioners how to vote.

Or is your law only one sided.

I'm pretty sure that SBC churches fall under the Protestant umbrella...

But anyway, back to my original question about why Bush would go to one funeral and not both...I think he should have attended both funerals of these civil rights leaders. It just struck me as odd when he didn't attend Rosa's funeral, and then he makes an appearance and speaks at Correta's.

Maybe Rosa died too soon after Katrina hit...he might have been booed off the stage.

Far be it for me to defend President Bush, but I do agree with you. He SHOULD have gone to both. But in this case I think it's his handlers that are to blame.

The President attended an October 30, 2005, ceremony in the Capitol rotunda honoring Rosa Parks' life. Mrs. Parks was the first woman, second African-American, and second private citizen to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol.

Rosa Parks to be 1st woman honored at Capitol

[ February 08, 2006, 03:18 PM: Message edited by: PennState4Ever ]

Hardly an exclusive group!

Fred Phelps isn't politicizing anything. He's spreading hate, pure and simple. He's deliberately causing pain for the families and friends of the deceased whose funerals he taints with his presence.

And anyone who seriously equates anything Fred Phelps does with the people who spoke out at the funeral of Coretta Scott King has to be as despicable and hatemongering as Fred Phelps himself.

Excuse me...since when do conservative good old boys tell black folk how to run a funeral?!! SHUT IT!!! :mad: Bush really was in a damned if he did...damned if he didn't situation. He would've been CRUCIFIED by the media had he not attended the funeral, but he took his licks that were dished out and really had no choice. When you anger half the country, particularly 90+% of a particular race of people what the hell do you expect? Interesting though that AGAIN, the conservative media, who didn't bother to devote much attention to her passing decide to start WHINING because of what was said at it!! So SHUT IT UP...ZIP IT...AND THROW IT AWAY because I'm not even trying to hear that noise!!!

Now I must admit that at first I wondered if her funeral was the right place to vent political frustrations, but because of the things that Mrs. King and her husband stood for, many of which are contradictory to what the current administration stands for...why not have that kind of discussion? The world knows what Coretta accomplished. The world has paid tribute to her time and time again and she was paid tribute to at her funeral. In my opinion, those voicing their strong opinions WERE paying tribute because like her, they took a stand and confidently spoke out against injustice. Get off the high horse. Whats truly disgusting is how the right wing is now trying to blow this thing completely out when most of them don't give a damn about the legacy of Coretta Scott King. I see right through that phony nature!!

[ February 08, 2006, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: ltskinmdterp ]

Spare me your sanctimony. It is so old. And predictable.

The fallout on this has grown, with even Andrew Young today blasting those who turned this into a political event. As he said, "Rev. and Mrs. King would never have done this...because they had grace."

It was a shocking but not at all surprising display of absolute disrespect for the dead, where former President Jimmy Carter, whose failed presidency is best remembered for his inability to deal with the terrorist regime of Iran, exploited the death of Coretta Scott King by launching into a puerile bushwhacking of President George Bush yesterday.

Instead of honoring Mrs. King’s life and accomplishments, Carter used her funeral to leverage a personal attack against a president who had the class and respect to not use the solemn event as a knoll for political sniping.

A no-name preacher, one Rev. Joseph Lowery, also used King’s funeral in a racist assault on the president. He received a standing ovation for his ugly intolerance and vile hatred; a clear demonstration of how widespread hate for conservatives is among those in the church. Lowery implied in his pathetic diatribe that Iraqis should not have been freed from the genocidal tyranny of Saddam.

One must wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King thought of these twisted rants as they watched the proceedings from on high.

Apparently, Carter, Lowery and most of the funeral gallery have no idea what Reverend King was talking about each time he spoke of the importance of tolerance, dignity and respect for those with differing opinions. The crowd’s grotesque reaction to the blatant slight against Mrs. King tells a tale of barefaced bigotry that will go down in the annals of American history as one of America’s most appalling displays of overt hate.

In conducting himself in this manner, Carter has dethroned the probably-soon-to-be-unemployed Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean as the reigning champion of imbecilic vitriol.

What kind of man uses a eulogy to cast political aspersions toward another? And if one is willing to do that, what else would one be willing, even anxious, to do?

Carter, a former naval officer, has long been sliding to the far-left fringes of American extremism. One would expect Pat Robertson, Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, Patrick Buchanan, Al Sharpton, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Ward Churchill and Michael Savage to pull such a loathsome stunt, but when a former president of the United States does it, the stench of disrepute overwhelms even the most seasoned political observer.

Even more troubling is how the so-called leaders of the black community have not vehemently chided Carter and this Lowery fellow for their disgusting actions at what was supposed to be – what Mrs. King no doubt wanted and expected to be – a celebration of her lifelong struggle against the very ills Carter and Lowery embody. These reprobates’ respective actions and inaction are akin to robbing Mrs. King’s dignified body of her jewelry and then spitting on her grave. Lowery I don’t know about, but Carter surely knew better but simply couldn’t care less how his callous words maimed the memory of a woman who staid the course when the towering waves of violence and rage threatened to crush her. Whereas Coretta Scott King stood upon a rocky outcropping to face the onslaught bearing down upon her, Carter and his contemptible ilk stooped down to pick up rocks for use as missiles.

And thus the true nature of the beast is revealed.

BTW, speaking of Carter, isn't it interesting how democrats "revere" the man who LOST Afghanistan (which eventually gave rise to the Taliban and Al-Queda), and Iran (which now threatens the world with nuclear weapons)?

Don't you just miss the days of the Carter administration: "Day 143, America Held Hostage." (As Nightline every night led off.) Only being able to buy gas every other day. I know I miss those lines at the gas station. And not being able to buy gas on Sunday. And what was the inflation rate?

Those sure were great times.

When I posted the news about Mrs. King's passing I intentionally put it in the "Real Life" section because I did not want comments and memories about Mrs. King to get lost in political rantings by anybody. Then a couple of days later I got an e-mail from the Outsports moderator stating that the thread had been moved to P & R. No reason was given for the move. I was dismayed, but hoped people could control themselves out of respect for Mrs. King. Clearly my hope was in vain. Then again, how can we expect participants on here to exhibit any self-control when participants at the services could not control themselves? Everybody's behavior has been repulsive; Mrs. King deserved better from everybody there and here.

Indeed. Rather sad. Even when I was attempting to address something political mentioned by another poster, I didn't want to see this turn political.

[ February 08, 2006, 08:56 PM: Message edited by: MIB ]

i don't think i can ever have as much class as george bush displayed at that funeral. how many hours did it go on? carter was like the old man who comes to your dad's funeral and tells the assembled mourners about the disagrement he and your dad had several years ago. carter and the other guy were embarassing.