April 4 - Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated
It was 41 years ago on this date that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He was only 39 years old at the time. His memory has now lived on longer than his life. He has shown people all around the world that it is great to dream big, and that changes can happen, as long as we DO something, peacefully, to make those changes happen.
The day before Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, he gave a speech. At the end of that speech, he addressed the bomb threats he had heard about for his plane flight to Memphis. This is what King said:
"And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."
Comments
I have always loved this song.
I did not look at the photos yet.
It is good that people always remember this so we never let anything like that happen again.
God bless Martin Luther King.
Kat
I have always loved this song.
I did not look at the photos yet.
It is good that people always remember this so we never let anything like that happen again.
God bless Martin Luther King.
Kat
MLK
Were they the same as the ones in Life Magazine online? http://www.life.com/image/51419416/in-gallery/24651
They were heartbreaking. To see the blood on the ground of a man who devoted his life simply to peace to try to get equality for all human beings - was heartbreaking. The fact that any humans would even think to kill another human being because that human simply wanted equality for all humans, just shows that some humans really are just as vicious as the most vicious of animals.
I forgot to mention why I posted that video, although most people who were around in the 80's know that song. I posted it because of it's reference to Martin Luther King Jr.
I found this about it on wikipedia:
"Bono had been influenced by Stephen B. Oates's book Let The Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as by a biography of Malcolm X. These caused Bono to ponder the different sides of the civil rights campaigns, the violent and the non-violent."
"The last line of the middle verse refers to Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, "One man betrayed with a kiss".[citation needed]
The first line of the last verse erroneously refers to King's shooting as "Early morning, April 4", when it was actually after 6 p.m. Bono admits the error and in live performances he occasionally changes the lyric to "Early evening...",[4] most notably at We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial."
MLK
CNN has just released never before seen photos of the death scene. If I find them on youtube i will post them on this blog. They were very chilling. Seeing such a powerful man lay dead is hard to wrap your mind around. As heartbreaking as that was to see, his death was not in vain.
Why do so many of our greats get slain? Let's hope and pray history does not repeat itself.
Todd
MLK
CNN has just released never before seen photos of the death scene. If I find them on youtube i will post them on this blog. They were very chilling. Seeing such a powerful man lay dead is hard to wrap your mind around. As heartbreaking as that was to see, his death was not in vain.
Why do so many of our greats get slain? Let's hope and pray history does not repeat itself.
Todd
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