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White Guilt Over Murder of MLK?

The Rev. Peter Johnson, 62, director of the Texas operations for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference thinks that Martin Luther King Day should be moved from the date of his birth to the anniversary of his death (April 4).

I have no problems with that. I think that MLK should be remembered and honored with a Holiday. I don’t think either date is more important than the other.

But I do disagree with the Rev. Johnson on his reason as to why we should move the date to his death:

A Dallas minister who marched with civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said Monday’s birthday observance holiday is an insult to his legacy.

[snip]

“We have ignored the essence of his life and the horror of his death,” said Johnson. “We’ve allowed white America to escape the guilt of his assassination and we’ve allowed black America to drift back into a coma.”

Uh….excuse me? I’m a white American and I feel absolutely zero “guilt” over the murder of MLK.

Why?

Because I didn’t shoot him.

Please don’t try to tell me that I should feel guilty about something I had nothing to do with. That’s like telling me I should feel guilty for slavery — despite the fact that I wasn’t even alive when it happened.

I wonder if the Rev. Johnson feels guilty about the black man who mugged me back in 1993 at an East St. Louis bus station? (I was on crutches, on my way home for convalescent leave from the Army after my knee surgery).

He shouldn’t. Unless it was him that actually mugged me that day (does he have an alibi?).

Posted by Robbie Cooper on Monday, January 21st, 2008 | Trackback |

6 Responses to “White Guilt Over Murder of MLK?”

I’ve always regretted that the holiday came so close to Christmas and New Years- but I was hoping that maybe we could find something he did in August to commemorate so that I could observe the holiday with some grilling or maybe a nice three day weekend to the beach.

Left by Preston on January 21st, 2008 at 12:50 pm

People get a holiday on MLK’s birthday? No wonder there wasn’t much traffic driving to work this morning.

Left by Jim Howard on January 21st, 2008 at 1:16 pm

People get a holiday on MLK’s birthday?

Mostly government workers. Personally, I’d move the holiday to February, African American History month. It gets to be too much. And while gov workers get the day off, they are also subjected to all sorts of p.c. activities in the months of January & February.

Left by Anonymous on January 21st, 2008 at 1:22 pm

Oh good grief!
What is this obsession so many knuckle-heads have about others feeling guilt over something they weren’t a part of? They must really need to find something, anything, to feel morally superior about.
The man has a national holiday, in honor of his life, for Christ’s sake.

Left by no2liberals on January 21st, 2008 at 5:16 pm

I think it is reasonable to acknowledge when we benefit from the works of others- this is why we celebrate Veterans and Lincoln and Washington. To the extent that we benefit and these previous generations suffered hardship I think this acknowledgment could be called guilt. But I agree with you that the Rev. Peter Johnson is mistaken that white people should feel guilt for the murder of Dr. King; not only does the mass of the white population have no complicity in his death but they receive no benefit from it- in fact his death made peaceful reconciliation between the races all the more difficult.

We’ve covered this territory before but if we are to feel pride from the great actions of this country that occurred before our births we should also feel shame for our country’s actions when it has acted dishonorably. However, for the reasons I state I don’t see King’s assassination to fall into this category.

Left by Preston on January 21st, 2008 at 6:34 pm

well said preston!

Left by adam on January 22nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm

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