Nothing is “sacred” or off-limits anymore. In my mind, funerals should be dignified and respectful services to honor the life of the deceased and help family and friends say goodbye, not political events. But the King family turned it into one, and bloggers became participants in the sideshow by adding to the partisanship. In my opinion, bloggers were just as disrespectful as the family and the politicians.
Addendum: Please don’t misunderstand this post. The focus is on bloggers on both sides of the aisle, not leftists, politicians, or the family.
Update (3:53 p.m.):I just watched four clips from Coretta Scott King’s funeral. Some speakers were respectful, as I suspected they would be. Others were not. In light of the clips and the stories I read this morning, my opinion on the matter stands.
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lefty bloggers or righty bloggers? just curious
On target as usual, LaShawn. One would expect “good manners” at a funeral…
Carmen
spacemen – Both
Carmen – My focus is on the bloggers, not the politicians.
La Shawn,
I agree with you. This should have been much more dignified funeral. A time for coming together and remembering Mrs. King. Something tells me Dr. King wouldn’t have approved, is nothing sacred?
Turning it into a political event was shameful. But I think what’s more shameful the constant shouting out that blacks are constantly being beat down. I think whites are surprised by this. It’s the constant victim argument that is getting a little old.
I hear you La Shawn. I was amazed in that the funeral was treated the way it was treated…on every level.
I found the whole thing to have a carnival atmosphere with side show barkers trying to get attention instead of paying final respects to a nice lady and remembering her. Shameful…
While in college, I worked in a busy funeral home (> 300/yr). I’ve witnessed everything from biker funerals to Fundamentalist funerals to Greek Orthodox funerals to Metropolitan Church funerals. Never have I seen such direspect by all those involved than at Mrs. King’s funeral.
I am with Mike, the whole event was some sort of freak show. (Reminded me of an episode of Six Feet Under back when I used to watch it). I have not read what bloggers said but after what I saw being broadcast for SIX HOURS, I don’t think I really need to.
I totally agree. The woman’s casket is sitting there and these fools take jabs at one of the Guests! My jaw dropped when I watched this yesterday. I was yelling at Oprah’s grandstanding at the coffin but making political remarks in this forum just a example of really poor taste.
Can we expect anything better from the left? Of course not!
Absolutely disgusting, disgraceful, and disrespectful. The left has no class.
The whole service was disrespectful of Mrs. King. It was as if they sold stickers on her casket like a NASCAR racer. Rude people are beneath contempt. Swinish behavior should bring instant rebuff from civil society.
I did not see the entire funeral, but I understand Mrs. King herself asked for a white dove to be released at her funeral. It would be mindful of bloggers and all of us to remember what that means.
http://www.worldpeacedepot.com/dove_symbol.htm
What a funeral, it’s disgusting, disrecpeful and became a freakshow of the democratic politicians.
Wasn’t Coretta Scott King also a civil rights activist?
Did not Oliver Tambo’s wife speak extensively about her activity in protesting apartheid in South Africa?
Was her home not bombed because of her activism?
Did she not speak extensively about non-violence as a political tool for social change?
Were her conversations with MLK not wiretapped by COINTELPRO?
Attempting to separate decorum dictates of a funeral to the wholistic celebration of ALL aspects of this woman’s life would not have done due justice to her memory. The truth doesn’t have to be pretty, appropriate, or comfortable.
I’m assuming folks should also take offense to having a concert/opera singer at her funeral as well(which was a life goal she sacrificed for her activism), but I’m sure folks will forget that as well.
Honestly La Shawn,
I’m still trying to figure out what god they were all referencing because it was not the one who revealed Himself in the bible. I guess we can’t be to surprised at anyone’s behavior (bloggers and the participants of the funeral) in light of this truth.
Excellent point Daniel!
Coretta Scott-King was a political figure, the views being espoused were views shared by and fought for by Mrs. King. I think that there was no greater tribute to her than to trumpet her beliefs on a stage as grand as that.
The fact that anyone, including the President, was uncomfortable is exactly why it SHOULD have been the way it was.
The majority of the country was uncomfortable talking about equal rights until Martin Luther King forced the issue into conversation. The country was uncomfortable about having a national holiday dedicated to Dr. King until Mrs. King forced it into the conversation.
If you are never uncomfortable, you aren’t growing. Too many people have gotten too comfortable, maybe it’s time for people to start getting uncomfortable again.
M. Woodward
Funerals are for the living, not the dead. Especially politically oriented funerals.
Right on Daniel!
The funeral was EXACTLY the correct, nationally televised- attended by Bush- forum to voice loudly what she stood for and who she was, and the state of things as they are.
By the way, Mr. Clinton again showed he has no equal when addressing a crowd.
Great. Now commenters are doing the same thing. Distressing, but not surprising.
I am just curious LaShawn but can you be a bit more specific as to what things in the blogs could be even half as disrespectful as the Rhyming pastor and Jimmy Carter trying to turn this good woman’s funeral into a campaign commercial?
The mere fact that bloggers participated by pointing out the so-called disrespectful partisanship and fueling the fire with their own. That’s the focus, not a he-said, she-said, who-was-more-disrespectful parlor game. – Admin
M. Woodward, it isn’t about being comfortable, for no funeral is comfortable, it is about being respectful, dignified, and demonstrating integrity. As Lashawn has pointed out a couple of times aready, it was bad enough the grandstanding took place at the funeral, but bloggers on either side, should have been the ones to elevate it back to what it should have been, a respectful homage to someone considered a great leader in our society. Rather, they brought it down a few more notches by adding to the political meandering.
La Shawn:
Carter’s comments are, or course, not only poor taste but inaccurate. Hoover’s spying on King was in no way comparable to spying on people who want to destroy King’s and our America.
In contrast, the Reverend’s comments about the Iraq war were NOT totally out of focus, beause Mrs King joined in the anti Iraq war activism.
Jerry,
What could be more respectful, dignified and a demonstration of integrity than NOT simply offering more platitudes and meaningless condolances.
I watched the funeral…I listened to every word (that was televised). I found nothing disrespectful. Nothing undignified. She went out with a bang that pushed her cause to the headlines, and forced people to listen…I’ll bet that’s just what she would have wanted, her kids seemed to think so.
I disagree with you….the King family DID NOT turn it into a political sideshow. I was in attendance and not home being a Monday morning quarterback. The bitter democratic party turned it into a political sideshow. Clinton brought everyone back into perspective and rebuked what was happening – I’m not a Clinton fan but I appreciate what he did.
The repulican governor spoke words of comfort, the republican president praised Mrs. King. Joseph Lowery set it off into foolishness and the Kings were most displeased with his antic (did you look at their blank faces). Lowery was a longtime constitiuent of Dr. King and was given an opportunity to share words. Somebody on that side had to be represented. He selfishly took that opportunity to tear down the Bush administration. Dr. King had a number of followers that were present – Jesse Jackson, CT Vivian, John Lewis, etc. But none of them were even invited on the platform by the Kings. The Kings did a good job to keep the focus on the work of their mother and her faith.
I take it that out of 40+ speakers, what one old fool said erased all the other good that was spoken. Shame on you for suggesting that the Kings had a political motive behind this. I’m curious…have you met with any of the Kings to assess their political motives for anything? You’re dead wrong on this one LaShawn.
I have never met the Kings, or the Bushes, or the Clintons, or the Queen of England, or most of the public figures I criticize on this blog, but I can and do make assessments about their motives based on their behavior and other circumstantial factors. If the standard has suddenly been raised to actually meeting people face to face before you can comment on their motives, we all better stop blogging and commenting on blogs. For the record, I did not watch the funeral but surmised, based on the politicians on the podium and news accounts, that it was a political sideshow. – Admin
“Carter’s comments are, or course, not only poor taste but inaccurate. Hoover’s spying on King was in no way comparable to spying on people who want to destroy King’s and our America.”
Frank, unless you are a White House insider, you have no idea what you are talking about:
“Representative Heather A. Wilson of New Mexico, chairwoman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, said in an interview that she had “serious concerns” about the surveillance program. By withholding information about its operations from many lawmakers, she said, the administration has deepened her apprehension about whom the agency is monitoring and why.”
I’ll bet that if Ms. Wilson doesn’t know, that you don’t either.
In all due respect, but your assessment of their (Kings) behavior and motive is wrong and it appears that acknowledging that you gave it with too broad of a stroke without taking in light the entire service and eloquent words spoken won’t happen up in here since it’s your show. Have at it.
Anyway, hopefully you gleaned from Rev. Bernice King’s prophetic message centered on righteous and holy living. Kudos to her for not being ashamed of proclaiming the Word of God, referencing Jesus Christ, speaking about the degradation of society and acknowledging that the old civil rights movement is gone and it’s time for personal accountability and responsibility based on God’s precepts.
I applaud the King children for the dignity they carried over the past few weeks and for doing the best they good under those circumstances. Attallah Shabazz to me was the best speaker and highlighted what it really must have been like growing up as a King and the giving heart of their mom.
If so, it’s not the first and won’t be the last time I’m wrong about someone’s motives. As someone frequently on the receiving end, I know how being misrepresented feels. But the presence of deeply divided politicians and others bringing politics into it…by writing about them I’m in danger of being a hypocrite and doing the same thing I’m accusing other bloggers of doing, so I’ll stop writing. – Admin
Finally, LaShawn, A post by you that I can almost agree with….But what Planet Federation are you, (and Condi), from?
Just caught something LaShawn. You didn’t watch the funeral but surmised it based on what others where saying. Well, I was there in person and it was a beautiful service. If you have a chance to catch it I hope you will. A lot of good was said versus the foolishness of the Democratic sideshow.
The New Birth Baptist Church is the cartoon against Christianity that offends Christ with such pomposity and disrespect that men supposedly of God have only self aggrandizement bitterly attack another while their calling was only to pray for a courageous soul.
I guess it is the norm these days that funerals become political arenas – very sad. Zorro – I have no problem with the govt listening to any of my conversations – I have nothing to hide and worry about. I think most of the people fussing about this must be worried that they will be listening to them? I would agree with this listening regardless of which party is in place – we ARE at war. May the elegant and beautiful Mrs. King rest in peace.
I am home with a bad case of poison ivy, so turned on c-span on the computer to watch the funeral. Sadly, c-span did not let us see it instead of 30 minutes into it, so I finally found President Bush’s speech on the White House website—President Bush’s words were wonderful. Wish I could have heard them. Surely, the family did not plan on the funeral going on six hours. President Bush 41 should have kept his comments to himself. And Jimmy Carter’s comments were all about himself. I must say I am amazed at the family’s strength to sit through the whole thing, and then for the daughter to get up and preach. I had to go pick up my husband at work half-way through the daughter’s sermon. Is there any where we can see or read the whole thing? I am curious about how she took her mother’s illness and turned it into lessons she saw on a national level.
By all means…keep writing. And I will continue to exercise my freedom to agree or respectfully disagree with anticipation of justifications. It’s just funny to me to see all these folks bashing the entire service based on that clown Joseph Lowery and “why did he ever become president” Jimmy Carter.
And to the one who made the comment about the New Birth Church. Seeing a black megachurch not holding fish fries for a building fund really got to you huh? Welcome to the 21st Century. lol
Actually, your freedom to agree or respectfully disagree doesn’t extend to the comment section of my blog. Exercise your rights all you like on your own blog. I’ve allowed you to have your say, so I hope you’re ready to move along…wait a second. You’re an anonymous commenter I had to deal with several months ago. Can’t stay away, I guess.
– Admin
“Zorro – I have no problem with the govt listening to any of my conversations – I have nothing to hide and worry about. I think most of the people fussing about this must be worried that they will be listening to them? I would agree with this listening regardless of which party is in place – we ARE at war”
WHOA. What can one say about this kind of head-in-the-sand response, and remain civil. Well, how about this: While he was alive, MLK was wiretapped, and effectively was “an enemy of the state”.
If you think we have put those days in our past, you are quite naive.
What is going on right now in these comments is exactly why someone like Mrs. King would have approved of the comments at her funeral.
If any of you listened to all of the other commenters talking about her life, you would have heard of a woman that was a civil rights champion and anti-war activist when she was just know as Coretta Scott.
You don’t think she approved of statements talking about deception used to justify a war of aggression? You don’t think she would have approved of statements about billions of dollars for war and budget cuts in services for the poor?
I am not necessarily saying that I share those views, but she did. In the end, it doesn’t matter what her family, the church, the media, LaShawn or anyone else wanted that ceremony to be, it only matters what SHE would have wanted it to be. I don’t know what she would have wanted, and neither do any of you here. I do know one thing, she would have agreed with every “controversial” statement made.
So, everyone that is pontificating about what the ceremony should have been, get off of your high horses and ask yourself, would Mrs. King have objected to people shinning light on causes that she whole-heartedly supported?
I think not, her whole life was dedicated to shinning light on causes she supported.
I am curious also about the non-violence attitude against all war and military spending. Are those that believe in non-violence against our police force, too? Jesus admired soldiers, and used the honorable professions of farmer, as well as soldier to teach principles. Jesus directs us to stand up for the poor, the oppressed, the widow and the orphan. And all the spending for the poor would do them no good if that same poor were the victims of another 911 attack.
From what I have seen the society and bloggers alike are still very uncomfortable with the civil rights movement. Mrs Coretta Scott King was an activist and she’ll be buried with the truth. Well that is the opinion of her followers I guess.
On the other hand, there is this widely held belief that the President and those that are in the White House are in a bubble. There is the widely held belief that they have no knowledge of what is going on in the average American Household and the streets.
There is this urge to shout into someone’s face that all the “spin” from Washington is condenscending and insultive and that people are not as stupid as some people think. I feel that Partisanship has brought the kind of strong feelings that results in both sides having a “No Holds Barred” attitude towards politics and hence people have no problems with political dogfights even at a Funeral ceremony.
In my opinion that kind of political atmosphere at a funeral is not a good sign for this country.
Finger pointing will not do any good either.
Bloggers,Nancy Pelosi,Howard Dean,Karl Rove,Ann Coulter whoever is the Agressor on either side are not doing this country any good.
May The Soul of Mrs Coretta Scott King Rest In Perfect Peace.
Where do so many experts on what Mrs. King would have wanted said at her funeral come from?
It certainly appears that for many, this funeral has turned into what Mark Twain called an “entertainment.”
So much for decorum and respect. Bring in the clowns.
TUCKER CARLSON: It’s not hard to hear that [your remarks] and not draw the obvious conclusion that that’s an attack on President Bush, which of course is your right to do, and I think completely fair. But again, it seemed very uncomfortable to say something like that in a funeral with the president right there. It seemed like bad manners.
REV. LOWERY: Well, I don’t think so. I certainly didn’t intend for it to be bad manners. I did intend for it to — to call attention to the fact that Mrs. King spoke truth to power. And here was an opportunity to demonstrate how she spoke truth to power about this war and about all wars.
And I think that, in the context of the faith, out of which the movement grows, we have always opposed war. We’ve always fought poverty. And we base our — our argument on — on the faith, on the fact that Jesus taught us. He identified with the poor. “I was hungry; you didn’t feed me. I was naked; you didn’t clothe me. I was in prison; you didn’t see about me.” He talked about war. He talked about he who lives by the sword.
So I’m comfortable with the fact that I was reflecting on Mrs. King’s tenacity against war, her determination to witness against war and to speak truth to power.
La Shawn, please check out http://www.mdfay.blogspot.com/ Compare this wonderful artist’s views of Iraq with the doings yesterday for Coretta Scott King. or the brave courage of the soldier at http://dkelsmith.blogspot.com/ who was not afraid to stop rudeness in an airport. We need both to protect the freedom of speech so evident at the funeral, don’t you think? Thanks for a great website.
I used to rally admire black preaching and gospel music style, maybe I was naive…but it all seems like so much phony grandstanding, so much schtick now. I think maybe Sharpton did that to me.
I would have been very upset if anyone tried to turn my mothers funeral into something other than a memorial, even if they were someone I usually supported. The first time someone said something political, and the crowed cheered at my mom’s funeral — I would have stood up and yelled ‘Everybody out!, now!’ I would be a great honor to have dignitaries pay thier last respects, but a great dishonor when they come with an agenda.
My man The Cultural Strategist said it best when he mentioned: http://functionalculture.blogspot.com/2006/02/mrs-kings-funeral-kneegrows-bush-and.html
…
A few years back President Bush visited the King Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend to lay a wreath at the tomb of the great civil rights leader. With hundreds of angry Black folks protesting the presence of President Bush on these hallowed grounds, having been provoked to show up by the local Black media outlets Mrs. King stood by Bush’s side as he offered tribute to her husband who rested, encased inside of his tomb, the eternal flame still burning.
We learned today from Reverend Lowery and others today that Mrs. King was in strong disagreement with many of Bush’s policies, particularly the war. During the time of her funeral, with Mrs. King being silent for eternity in this world, Lowery and others decided to lend their voice to the body that lay in an open casket, spouting words in public to President Bush that THIS WOMAN DID NOT DO while she was in the flesh on this Earth, fully capable to do so.
It seems to me that Reverend Lowery and others who borrowed Mrs. King’s name today to “Speak Truth to Power†failed to borrow her dignity. They only borrowed her corpse.
…
Funny how the “reverend” Lowery missed the verses in the Bible that speak of respecting political leaders even when you disagree with them. CS King got it though!
I live blogged some of the funeral and would do it again. I was trying to capture the moment for everyone and the speakers had the option to make it a great tribute or a political slug fest.
Being a former member of New Birth who has seen the members of the King family speak several times and even was part of a mentoring program when I lived in Norristown, PA that flew in MLK III to speak, I can say for certain that the King family had nothing to do with the service going partisan. They try and keep from being partisan as MLK Jr. did. They stand on their principles. Not that I agree with them on all of those principles, but they usually avoid the partisan side-shows.
Bill Clinton did save things from going further downhill.
I was trying to capture the moment for everyone and the speakers had the option to make it a great tribute or a political slug fest.
Honorable intentions, IC. You’re right about the speakers’ options, too.
Thought experiment:
It is 2050, and the funeral of former president George Bush-Martinez. On the dais is the current president, Susan Kennedy Rodham, who says nice, gracious things about the former president. Also on the dais is Thomas DeLay IV, who uses the event to make a blistering attack on President Rodham’s policy of one baby one woman (or whatever). The head of the American Christian Union talks about the irony of a woman president who seeks to kill unborn women. Etc.
The excuse is, well George Martinez was a political figure, so politics in a funeral is OK, and if you’re so hung up about classiness and politeness, you should just get out.
Outside of the made-up events, do you see how a funeral is just not the place to shove in your politics?
No one’s saying that you HAVE to go to a funeral. But IF you go, pay your respects to the person. Use another venue and time for your personal ranting.
Umm…after reading some of the comments here I would like to say although I think that the subject matter of the comments made were ones that Mrs. King supported, maybe the…timing of the comments was inappropriate.
Maybe the appropriate place would have been conversation with the talking heads following the service.
Although, at the same time, anytime a catalyst is introduced to cause people to openly debate difficult issues can be looked at as positive. So, even if I disagree with the means of the catalyst, I can look positively on it (the catalyst), causing open debate which has been so stifled in this country recently.
M.Woodward – Where have you been? These same issues are debated daily. Bush’s latest budget proposal was just a few days ago and the same issues raised. So this is not some new “catalyst” for the issues CS King stood for.
As I was discussing on DL Foster’s blog, Mrs. King was also in favor of gay “marriage”. Bishop Long is totally against it. Some gays felt the funeral should not be held at his church because of it. But what they don’t understand is that CS King and Bishop Long were the best of friends and she attended services there often. They disagreed on an issue, but that did not taint their love for each other.
CS King was able to stand with GWB at her husband’s tomb. It’s a shame others could not stand in respect with the President while he showed respect to CS King. Some are claiming raising the issues was to speak for what CS King stood for, but you ignore that she also stood for respect.
The fact the issues were raised at the WRONG TIME only causes the issues to be ignored. Nobody debating what happened yesterday is talking about the issues raised. They are talking about the fact the funeral got partisan. The issues are being ignored now more than before because some people who claim to stand for the issues are turning them into a side-show.
Regardless of the typical rude behavior of the left at Mrs. King’s funeral, can anyone verify too me that Mrs. King was a Christian as in a regenerate sense and not merely a nominal sense?
I know her Daughter, Bernice King is a bible believing Christian and I have enjoyed her words in the past……..but I have always been concerned about people like Coretta King of where they truly stand??? I guess the same is applied to Jimmy Carter also??? My wife saw Coretta King here in Calgary years ago and their wasn’t any mention in her talk about her live about what Christ meant to her but simply repeating standard social activist stuff ……
It would be comforting too know that she was ready for her great gettin up morning…
The Kings had strong feelings and worked hard to achieve their goals. As I watched them over the years, I always noticed their ability to speak their views on contoversial matters with clarity and dignity. They were able to clarify many things about the suffering of black people. They spoke in soaring tones rather than merely strident. They elevated black persons without making me feel denigrated in the process. They served our nation well. May they enjoy being reunited in God’s presence.
What is sad, is that most of the talking heads do not have the courage to turn the other cheek and carry themselves with dignity and class. What this display truly shows is that a majority of bloggers and people on the extreme left and right lack the fundamental elements of human compassion they claim to up hold.
IC:
First of all, calm down. I didn’t say it was a “new” catalyst, I said it was A catalyst.
Second, because the statements keep getting aired over and over, they are ALSO being talked about more than they would have been had the statements not been made. Reason being that whenever someone is asked about the comments it is inevitable that they are asked how they feel about or if they agree with what was said.
I grew up and currently live in Atlanta, I am quite familiar with Bishop Long and Mrs. King’s relationship as well as their politics, so I can do without your patronizing tone.
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