I wasn't there, Michelle, but having grown up in a family of activists have been involved as both an organizer and participant of of many demonstrations against racism and against war...

But I'm glad you started this thread because if you hadn't I was going to start one...

Much of who I am I owe to Dr. King...

(But, Bobert, you go off on these radical rants and get all in-yer-face with folks here in Mudville... How do you square that with what Dr. King taught about non-violence and peace and being all lovey-dovey???)

Well, Dr, King also taught us to be tenacious... In an interview 10 days before his assisination he said, "We have always stood up against injustice. We have done it militantly. Now, so often the word 'militant' is misunderstood because most people think of militancy in miliatry terms. But to be militant merely means to be demanding and to be persistent, and in this sense I think the non-violent movement has demonstarted great militancy. It is possible to be lilitantly non-violent."

In that same interview he said, I fell that at every point we musy make it clear that this isn't just a Negro problem, that white Americans have a responsibilty, indeed a great responsibility, to work passionately and unrelentingly for the solution of the problem of racism, and if that means constantly reminding white society of it's obligation, that must be done. If I have been accused of that, then I will continue to be accused."

Now, within these two quotes is perhaps the basis of my value system that makes me expose the anti-human policies of my governwemtn... This didn't start with George Bush, BTW... It's been going on now since my early teens and my mom was marching in civil rights demonstrations... Those were some interesting times with my dad, at the time, still a stance Republican and corporation man... But he came 'round but not after many, many intersting family dinners which occasionally broke down into food fights...

One last thing...

... America would be a better place now had Dr. King not been ripped from us at a time when America needed him the most...

Bobert