Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King
In honor of the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday on January 17, CodePink has produced an inspiring internet flash movie that reveals just how out-of-sync the White House is with Dr. King’s message of peace and love. You can view it by visiting http://www.codepinkalert.org .
Dr. King was not only a champion for civil rights, but also a stalwart defender of peace and social justice. The flash movie features excerpts from Dr. King’s April 4, 1967 speech at Riverside Church in New York City and overlays his words with images from the Vietnam War and the current Iraq War. A loop of a Tupac Shakur song provides a musical background. Over images of war abroad and poverty at home, Dr. King’s voice tells viewers: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
Dr. King and Mr. Bush are polar opposites. Dr. King preached love, peace and compassion; Bush’s message is war, revenge and fear. If Dr. King were alive today, he would be leading massive protests against Bush’s war in Iraq and his abandonment of the poor at home. That’s why this flash movie encourages viewers to join the activities to protest Bush’s inauguration on January 20 and to prepare for rallies against the Iraq war on March 19, the date marking the second anniversary of the invasion.
It is a fitting tribute to Dr. King to speak out against a war that not only destroys the lives of Americans and Iraqis but pours billions of dollars into programs of destruction instead of programs of “social uplift.” This anniversary should also be a reminder to supporters of peace that we must support civil rights and social justice here at home.
Please share this internet movie with friends and family to help spread Dr. King's true message.
With appreciation,
Andrea, Carol, Claire, Dana, Gael, Jodie, Medea, Tiffany
January 14, 2005 http://www.codepinkalert.org
--------
Hope And Despair On King Day
by Marcellus Andrews, TomPaine.com Exclusive
Too often liberals forget that King's legacy stems from solidarity among people -- not government power.
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/hope_and_despair_on_king_day.php
WWKD: What Would King Do?
by Mara Voukydis, CommonDreams.org
Voukydis -- of United for a Fair Economy -- calls on Bush to honor King's legacy by strengthening opportunities for all Americans.
http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/#003378
Holiday For A Hero
by Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Alternet
Why millions of Americans simply do not see King as a legitimate American hero.
http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/#003375
Whitewashing The Rebel
by Geov Parris,Working for Change
Why do we give Dr. King -- a brave leader who took serious risks for justice -- such sanitized, Hallmark- style tributes?
http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/#003377
Act Now: MLK Day Of Service
by King Day of Service
Make Martin Luther King Jr. day a day "on" rather than a day off -- participate in a local service project.
http://www.tompaine.com/action/#003371
Pass It On: Hear Dr. King Speak
by AmericanRhetoric.com
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision with this audio file of his "I Have A Dream" speech. Kleenex recommended.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/Ihaveadream.htm
From TomPaine.com
--------
Remembering a King
by Patrick W. Gavin
The American Prospect
01/14/05
[Today], the United States will commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a federal holiday. Throughout the day, Americans will hear stories of his fights against segregation, his powerful speech in Washington, and his struggle for voting rights. These are the stories and the history that Americans now feel comfortable with, and these are the parts of King's life that we embrace and honor. But each year, our celebration of King's vision is regrettably incomplete. Toward the end of his life, he espoused political views that made America -- then and now -- quite uncomfortable, and it is that part of his life that many Americans have ignored. Given our current international climate, however, it may be high time to take a second look at those views and to see if we can glean any valuable lessons from them...
http://www.prospect.org/web/view-web.ww?id=9022
Informant: Thomas L. Knapp
--------
"Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please share this message of hope and conviction, and encourage friends to join together in carrying on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://action.ourfuture.org/ctt.asp?u=1742757&l=74746
Today we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us remember that while Dr. King had a dream, he was not a naive dreamer. Think of me, he said, as a "drum major for justice." Seen in his time by some as controversial, Dr. King endured threats, beatings, jailing, and ultimately gave his life to make America better.
On his last birthday, he met in the morning to organize a multi-racial poor people's campaign to march on Washington and demand economic justice. That afternoon, he joined in planning the anti-war movement's efforts to get the US out of the folly of Vietnam. When he was assassinated in Memphis, he was mobilizing people on behalf of sanitation workers, who were striking for minimum human dignity.
When we remember Dr. King, we cannot allow him to be airbrushed into a gentle dreamer - a mere orator with poetic brilliance. Were he alive today, with inequality at Gilded Age extremes, with poverty spreading and an unjustified war costing thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, Dr. King would be rousing us to action.
The promise of America continues to be betrayed, and the work of moving Dr. King's legacy forward remains. Please pass along this message to friends and colleagues, and encourage them to help pick up Dr. King's work today.
http://action.ourfuture.org/ctt.asp?u=1742757&l=74746
We at Campaign For America's Future believe that we must take up Dr. King's historic mission - the fight for equal rights, economic justice, and against this government's folly abroad. That is what moves us to fight the battles we're fighting today - the battles for economic and social justice now facing fierce attack by President Bush and the radical right.
Today, President Bush and the right-wing leaders of Congress will celebrate Dr. King's "dream", but their policies betray Dr. King's mission as they seek to dismantle Social Security, America's most successful anti-poverty program, break their promise to provide high-quality affordable education for ALL of America's children, and continue to mislead America about the difficulties in Iraq, while increasing our dependence on foreign oil.
A nation that is cutting taxes on billionaires while laying off the teachers of poor children is, as Dr. King surely would have warned, a nation that has lost its moral bearings and is mortgaging its future.
Friends, we must organize and fight as never before. Dr. King taught that everyone can lead because everyone can serve. Even against great odds, Dr. King showed us how citizens of conscience, committed to unceasing action, infused with a sense of urgency can unseat the powerful, and make this country better. Dr. King gave his life in that cause.
Now we must mobilize millions to renew the drive for economic and social justice - and to fulfill Dr. King's famous dream.
We at the Campaign for America's Future are grateful to work with you in this great cause. As difficult as current realities may seem, we are optimistic about the possibility that together we can make a difference. We hope you can join us in sharing Dr. King's inspiration and continuing to build the ranks of supporters who will carry on his work.
Please pass along this message that the light of Dr. King's legacy still shines brightly today - through all of us. Encourage friends to join you - and us -- in continuing to move Dr. King's great legacy forward.
http://action.ourfuture.org/ctt.asp?u=1742757&l=74746
Thank you again for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Borosage and Roger Hickey,
Co-Directors, Campaign for America's Future
Dr. King was not only a champion for civil rights, but also a stalwart defender of peace and social justice. The flash movie features excerpts from Dr. King’s April 4, 1967 speech at Riverside Church in New York City and overlays his words with images from the Vietnam War and the current Iraq War. A loop of a Tupac Shakur song provides a musical background. Over images of war abroad and poverty at home, Dr. King’s voice tells viewers: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
Dr. King and Mr. Bush are polar opposites. Dr. King preached love, peace and compassion; Bush’s message is war, revenge and fear. If Dr. King were alive today, he would be leading massive protests against Bush’s war in Iraq and his abandonment of the poor at home. That’s why this flash movie encourages viewers to join the activities to protest Bush’s inauguration on January 20 and to prepare for rallies against the Iraq war on March 19, the date marking the second anniversary of the invasion.
It is a fitting tribute to Dr. King to speak out against a war that not only destroys the lives of Americans and Iraqis but pours billions of dollars into programs of destruction instead of programs of “social uplift.” This anniversary should also be a reminder to supporters of peace that we must support civil rights and social justice here at home.
Please share this internet movie with friends and family to help spread Dr. King's true message.
With appreciation,
Andrea, Carol, Claire, Dana, Gael, Jodie, Medea, Tiffany
January 14, 2005 http://www.codepinkalert.org
--------
Hope And Despair On King Day
by Marcellus Andrews, TomPaine.com Exclusive
Too often liberals forget that King's legacy stems from solidarity among people -- not government power.
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/hope_and_despair_on_king_day.php
WWKD: What Would King Do?
by Mara Voukydis, CommonDreams.org
Voukydis -- of United for a Fair Economy -- calls on Bush to honor King's legacy by strengthening opportunities for all Americans.
http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/#003378
Holiday For A Hero
by Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Alternet
Why millions of Americans simply do not see King as a legitimate American hero.
http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/#003375
Whitewashing The Rebel
by Geov Parris,Working for Change
Why do we give Dr. King -- a brave leader who took serious risks for justice -- such sanitized, Hallmark- style tributes?
http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/#003377
Act Now: MLK Day Of Service
by King Day of Service
Make Martin Luther King Jr. day a day "on" rather than a day off -- participate in a local service project.
http://www.tompaine.com/action/#003371
Pass It On: Hear Dr. King Speak
by AmericanRhetoric.com
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision with this audio file of his "I Have A Dream" speech. Kleenex recommended.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/Ihaveadream.htm
From TomPaine.com
--------
Remembering a King
by Patrick W. Gavin
The American Prospect
01/14/05
[Today], the United States will commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a federal holiday. Throughout the day, Americans will hear stories of his fights against segregation, his powerful speech in Washington, and his struggle for voting rights. These are the stories and the history that Americans now feel comfortable with, and these are the parts of King's life that we embrace and honor. But each year, our celebration of King's vision is regrettably incomplete. Toward the end of his life, he espoused political views that made America -- then and now -- quite uncomfortable, and it is that part of his life that many Americans have ignored. Given our current international climate, however, it may be high time to take a second look at those views and to see if we can glean any valuable lessons from them...
http://www.prospect.org/web/view-web.ww?id=9022
Informant: Thomas L. Knapp
--------
"Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please share this message of hope and conviction, and encourage friends to join together in carrying on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://action.ourfuture.org/ctt.asp?u=1742757&l=74746
Today we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us remember that while Dr. King had a dream, he was not a naive dreamer. Think of me, he said, as a "drum major for justice." Seen in his time by some as controversial, Dr. King endured threats, beatings, jailing, and ultimately gave his life to make America better.
On his last birthday, he met in the morning to organize a multi-racial poor people's campaign to march on Washington and demand economic justice. That afternoon, he joined in planning the anti-war movement's efforts to get the US out of the folly of Vietnam. When he was assassinated in Memphis, he was mobilizing people on behalf of sanitation workers, who were striking for minimum human dignity.
When we remember Dr. King, we cannot allow him to be airbrushed into a gentle dreamer - a mere orator with poetic brilliance. Were he alive today, with inequality at Gilded Age extremes, with poverty spreading and an unjustified war costing thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, Dr. King would be rousing us to action.
The promise of America continues to be betrayed, and the work of moving Dr. King's legacy forward remains. Please pass along this message to friends and colleagues, and encourage them to help pick up Dr. King's work today.
http://action.ourfuture.org/ctt.asp?u=1742757&l=74746
We at Campaign For America's Future believe that we must take up Dr. King's historic mission - the fight for equal rights, economic justice, and against this government's folly abroad. That is what moves us to fight the battles we're fighting today - the battles for economic and social justice now facing fierce attack by President Bush and the radical right.
Today, President Bush and the right-wing leaders of Congress will celebrate Dr. King's "dream", but their policies betray Dr. King's mission as they seek to dismantle Social Security, America's most successful anti-poverty program, break their promise to provide high-quality affordable education for ALL of America's children, and continue to mislead America about the difficulties in Iraq, while increasing our dependence on foreign oil.
A nation that is cutting taxes on billionaires while laying off the teachers of poor children is, as Dr. King surely would have warned, a nation that has lost its moral bearings and is mortgaging its future.
Friends, we must organize and fight as never before. Dr. King taught that everyone can lead because everyone can serve. Even against great odds, Dr. King showed us how citizens of conscience, committed to unceasing action, infused with a sense of urgency can unseat the powerful, and make this country better. Dr. King gave his life in that cause.
Now we must mobilize millions to renew the drive for economic and social justice - and to fulfill Dr. King's famous dream.
We at the Campaign for America's Future are grateful to work with you in this great cause. As difficult as current realities may seem, we are optimistic about the possibility that together we can make a difference. We hope you can join us in sharing Dr. King's inspiration and continuing to build the ranks of supporters who will carry on his work.
Please pass along this message that the light of Dr. King's legacy still shines brightly today - through all of us. Encourage friends to join you - and us -- in continuing to move Dr. King's great legacy forward.
http://action.ourfuture.org/ctt.asp?u=1742757&l=74746
Thank you again for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Borosage and Roger Hickey,
Co-Directors, Campaign for America's Future
Starmail - 14. Jan, 19:35
