General Chat (Non-Music-Related)

Well, I started the morning off sleeping a little late. I made it (almost) to 7am LOL! Snuck out of bed not to disturb my beautiful wife went downstairs and made coffee. Turned on tv and sparked up the ole iPhone to check facebook. Low and behold some arse hole had taken a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King and defiled it including a caption of "this is going to piss off some people" the first time in my short time on fb I reported it hopefully for removal?
In spite of what some of you think of my political leanings every time I hear "the speech" I cry. I cry because i am old enough to remember the way things were back in the 60's! I remember the simplicity and the injustice of the time. Lately I am saddened and frustrated from the belief black folks have forgotten the words and wisdom of Dr. King focusing on ONLY the goal. Equal rights for black folks? Now I am not going to ramble on spewing my reality. We all have our own reality and only history will tell which part of BOTH or ALL was just and right.
I only know that I was fortunate enough to wake up in a quite house with all my children here and (grand baby) Did a couple honeydews, fixed some of the best burgers (on the grill) had a few beers, booked 4 well paying gigs, ate two burgers. Wow, I feel blessed. God bless all of you and Dr. Martin Luther King!

That was nice. That needs to be translated into a question of why our leaders are spewing so much racial hatred. Hatred that only becomes a mirror. Is it more about power and control over many using the sword of division? King should be remembered as a great American.

Grand baby. HA HA HA, you are an old fart. God bless Jeff.

The question has been asked a few times the past couple of years, what would MLK think if he saw America these days?

I think he would be disgusted. I think he would see his efforts gone to waste and probably sit down and cry. I'm pretty sure he would tell Obama, Sharpton and Holder to sit down and shut up.

What's really a shame is that all the people who like to point to MLK as their hero seem to have completely ignored his words, especially a couple of quotes they should have memorized:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

And this one...

Do you know that Negroes are 10 percent of the population of St. Louis and are responsible for 58% of its crimes? We’ve got to face that. And we’ve got to do something about our moral standards,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told a congregation in 1961. “We know that there are many things wrong in the white world, but there are many things wrong in the black world, too. We can’t keep on blaming the white man. There are things we must do for ourselves.

My father was one of the most seriously predjudiced people I ever saw, and I never understood it. Why would you hate someone you never met and know absolutely nothing about? I'm old enough to remember some of the later speeches MLK made, even if I didn't understand a lot of it, but one thing always stood out. He always spoke for non violent protest, not the looting and burning and riots we see today. My father just saw him as a troublemaker. And yes, the n word was very frequently used...My mother was exactly the opposite, if you wanted your ass whipped, big time, that was the word to use in her house...he was the only person she couldn't stop. So I saw this from both sides, and his side looked pretty stupid...

Today I have to be sad when I look around me and see the people who consider MLK their hero but largely ignore his methods even if they remember his words.

I have a good friend here in town who I've known for over 20 years, one of my best friends. Grew up in the same black neighborhood as many of these troublemakers, went to all black schools until around 1970, and when he was about 12 his parents got him a new 10 speed English racer, I think he said for Christmas. Every time he rode into town he would be pulled over by the police and accused of stealing it. That was the mentality...black kid, new bike, small town east Texas...he stole it. So his father gave him the receipt to carry so he could verify that it was his and legitimate.

Today he owns 2 businesses, bought a small (5 acre I think) piece of land and built a nice house on it, married a terrific lady, they both drive new vehicles, house and yard are spotless...he never sat there with his hand out and expected the government to hand him everything, he worked his butt off for all of that. I worked with him in a machine shop about 1992, one black guy in a shop with 6 whites, and they all became friends. Not just coworkers...friends...we all had a very high opinion of him and knew he was the best in town at his job. Never missed a day, never late, backed me up when a couple of illegal immigrants tried to start a fight, would do the same for all of us, when he called you a friend you knew he meant it.

So he was targeted by the police as a teenager, he saw restaurants, buses and restrooms with "White Only" signs same as I did, he saw discrimination first hand...so why didn't he develop the attitude we see constantly these days, the chip on the shoulder mentality?

His parents were the people MLK was talking to. They were young adults, he and I were about 12 or 13 when MLK was killed. His parents were listening...something the people we see today have not done. I always think of him when I see or hear the quotes I posted above, that was what MLK was talking about.

Somebody did listen...

Yes Glen I am now a gramps 2 times over! But I Rawk!

Billy, you and I definately feel the same. That is very well written and exactly what I meant!

Yeah Billy, I'll second that! Very well written. I just wish more people would wake up and smell the coffee instead of the B.S.

Thanks guys, I was hoping that wasn't over the top, but it pretty much sums up what I see and what I think about it.

That was great. I was slightly p.o.'ed, coming home from work on Monday. After hearing clips on the radio, most just telling me what's wrong with me, not telling us what's right about King's message and legacy.
I got into an argument with a guy on another forum. He's a big time liberal. Only deviates from the Obama ideology on 2nd Amendment rights and Israel's right to exist, so I respect him somewhat. He got to call me a racist for not towing the politically correct line, then apologize (partially), then it's business as usual.
Good times.

What we need is a new "Godwin's Law," which many of you may recall has one rule only: first person to call the other a Nazi loses the argument.

Same with 'racist.' Someone calls me that I assume they are a buffoon with no actual ideas to back up their argument and discussion is over.

Talbot

The accusation is more watered down than yesterday's thirst buster.