Pathetic: King Funeral Turns Political

[gh0st]

It's been on talk radio for quite awhile now, here's the text from Drudge

KING FUNERAL TURNS POLITICAL: BUSH BASHED BY FORMER PRESIDENT, REVEREND
Tue Feb 07 2006 15:49:48 ET

Today's memorial service for civil rights activist Coretta Scott King -- billed as a "celebration" of her life -- turned suddenly political as one former president took a swipe at the current president, who was also lashed by an outspoken black pastor!

The outspoken Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech, ostensibly about the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

"She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war. She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there," Lowery said.

The mostly black crowd applauded, then rose to its feet and cheered in a two-minute-long standing ovation.

A closed-circuit television in the mega-church outside Atlanta showed the president smiling uncomfortably.

"But Coretta knew, and we know," Lowery continued, "That there are weapons of misdirection right down here," he said, nodding his head toward the row of presidents past and present. "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor!" The crowd again cheered wildly.

Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered as Bush, under fire for a secret wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, again smiled weakly.

Later, Carter said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America.

"This commerative cermony this morning, this afternoon, is not only to acknowledge the great contributions of Coretta and Martin, but to remind us that the struggle for equal rights is not over. We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi," Carter said, the rest of his sentence drowned out by loud applause. "Those who were most devastated by [Hurricane] Katrina know that there are not yet equal opportunities for all Americans. It is our responsibility to continue their crusade."

Developing...

That is just pathetic.

First its pathetic that the wife of a civil rights leader, a woman who has done comparably little to further the civil rights movement, is being honored in this way. Flags flying at half staff? Thats ridiculous. Most of this countries first ladies have done FAR more for causes than she has, and I've never seen any kind of huge issue being made out of their deaths.

Second its incredible that Jimmy Carter - one of the worst presidents of the 20th century by most historians standards is using this opportunity to bash someones politics. A person just died how about we ****ing honor and respect their life instead of turning it into a negative event by bashing someone. It shows a stunning lack of tact on his part.

if i were bush i wouldnt have gone to that, he should have known it was coming.

 

[Yuri]

Wow, that is pathetic. Pathetic that Bush-bashing was part of a memorial service. Almost even mocks Mrs. King's memory...

But what I don't understand is why you are actually considering mourning this death pathetic. What harm could it possibly do to mourn? The answer is none. I really wish that you hadn't made this thread, gh0st, and littered it with your own pathetic commentary...

 

[Neutrino]

While I do tend to agree that a funeral is a poor place for politics there are a couple points I'd like to mention.

First, we could do far worse than to honor her life. She been very active in the civil rights movement for a very long time. Why not honor that? I don't think celebrating a symbol of civil rights can ever really be a bad thing.

Second, while what the pastor said was argueably in poor taste it was essentially correct. Coretta Scott King was against the war in Iraq. However, I do agree that the obvious political slant of the statements should have been taken elsewhere.

 

[gh0st]

But what I don't understand is why you are actually considering mourning this death pathetic. What harm could it possibly do to mourn? The answer is none. I really wish that you hadn't made this thread, gh0st, and littered it with your own pathetic commentary...

there is no harm to mourn. jeez, its not like im saying "ms. king shouldnt have a funeral because she's BLACK" or something like that. everyone has the right to a proper funeral. im saying that the media is making a HUGE issue out of the death of a relatively small player in the civil rights community. obviously some of it has to do with riding her husbands legacy, but still it seems like an disproportional rememberance. if you dont like my commentary then surely you wouldnt lower yourself to replying to it.

 

[Solaris]

Not that pathetic, I doubt the women would have been a fan of Bush.

 

[CptStern]

while I agree that a funeral wasnt the best placve ..but this wasnt just any funeral. She was arguably the most influential woman in civil rights history (personally I think it's rosa parks) ..in her spirit it is only fitting that those around her keep her work alive

 

[VictimOfScience]

Ugh, yeah, this is pretty despicable. Of course, it doesn't exactly come as a surprise, given the media coverage of the event. Its a ready-made and tremendously tall soapbox on which anyone can get great coverage of whatever they want people to hear. I agree with the sentiments about the war and civil liberties and such, but for the sake of the King family, have some respect and some common decency and honor her good works. A disgusting display.

Oh, and Carter == teh sux.

 

[Lemonking]

Carter lol my uncle told me about him.....



lets just do nothing LOL

 

[Sulkdodds]

Yes, it's pretty lame to use a funeral as a political soapbox. Not really the time or the place. Except - and I don't know about this, because I don't know much about Mrs King - except if she was the kind of person who would have wanted these kinds of thing said at her funeral.

But:

Some of his major accomplishments included the creation of a national energy policy and the consolidation of governmental agencies. He enacted strong environmental legislation; deregulated the trucking, airline, rail, finance, communications, and oil industries, bolstered the social security system; and appointed record numbers of women and minorities to significant government and judicial posts. In foreign affairs, Carter's accomplishments included the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, the creation of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and the negotiation of the SALT II Treaty. In addition, he championed human rights throughout the world and used human rights as the center of his administration's foreign policy.

Stop me where Jimmy Carter is the worst president ever here.

 

[VictimOfScience]

Interesting discussion here from 2 CNN analysts about this found here.

Here's a snippet:

O'BRIEN: All right. Not so subtle a statement there .What were your thoughts on this as you watched this unfold? Did it surprise you, first of all?

GREENFIELD: Well, I can't say that, because she was such a symbol of a particular moment in American political history. We should mention, by the way, that Martin Luther King was wiretapped during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations at the direction of Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who was a hero of that movement.

Stop me where Jimmy Carter is the worst president ever here.

I never said he was the worst ever, but he certainly f'ed up the Iranian crisis at the time. Do you think Reagan got elected from his acting alone? Carter also was a little incompetent with his handling of the Panama Canal Treaty. But yes, the Camp David Accords were nicely done I must say.

And don't look now, but we've got another Iranian crisis brewing...I wonder who will f this one up? :upstare:

 

[JNightshade]

Hmm. On one hand, I'd say that a funeral is indeed a rather inappropriate place to bring politics. On the other, being as Bush stands against much of what she and the King Center stood for, I doubt she was a fan of his.

 

[Yuri]

there is no harm to mourn. jeez, its not like im saying "ms. king shouldnt have a funeral because she's BLACK" or something like that. everyone has the right to a proper funeral. im saying that the media is making a HUGE issue out of the death of a relatively small player in the civil rights community. obviously some of it has to do with riding her husbands legacy, but still it seems like an disproportional rememberance. if you dont like my commentary then surely you wouldnt lower yourself to replying to it.

Pfft, just cuz I don't agree with a few random points you threw out doesn't mean I'm going to think I'm "above" replying to it...

I wasn't stating that you were rascist, either, sorry if you took it that way. But you did say it was "pathetic" that we are mourning her death "because there have been more influential people." That sounds kinda like a pathetic statement to me...

Actually, gh0st, I apologize for singling you out though. No reason to, reading your post again. Sorry dude.




But I think the only real thing that was pathetic about it was droning on against the war in Iraq at someone's funeral. Even if she was the biggest war protestor, it wouldn't give you the right to bash Bush during her funeral. Its just messed up...

 

[CptStern]

when I die, it will be mandatory to bash bush ..cheney and rumsfeld too

 

[JNightshade]

Hahaha... that funeral would be awesome.

 

[CptStern]

Hahaha... that funeral would be awesome.

I plan to sell tickets (in advance of course) and serve champagne :E

 

[Yuri]

I plan to sell tickets (in advance of course) and serve champagne :E

While being dead?

ZOMBIE STERN!!!

 

[CptStern]

nah I'd hire wait-staff