MLK

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/8/04 8:02:10 AM, paul.mackin at verizon.net writes:

<< The general thrust of what Toby is saying rings truer for me than much
of what is being remembered here. King wasn't "revolutionary" enough
culturally and politically for 60s youth and that goes for white and
black youth alike. For one thing he was very late in taking a decisive
stand against the war.  >>

Thanks for the perspective. I would disagree with King
not being "revolutionary" enough, though, and suggest that
he was not revolutionary enough in ways that mattered to the
white middle class. His '67 anti-war speech, linking the war
in Viet Nam to the forces of oppression in the USA, however,
was cultural dynamite, and left him open to the same charges
of being unpatriotic that were being made against whites who
were not interested in going to Viet Nam.

It's particularly sad for me to remember over-hearing white
students in the halls of my high school expressing glee at the 
murder of "that nigger" as the news broke. I admit that my
reaction to them was more Mason-like than Dixon-like, but
times change.

respectfully