[EDITOR'S NOTE: We are re-posting this column (originally run Nov. 2nd) in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, whose life and work we celebrate today:}
“When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King,
from a speech delivered in 1967
by Mark Neuman
Contemplating the Giant Triplets
I am embarrassed to admit that, at age nine, I knew more about Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch and a TV situation comedy called “F Troop” than I did about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I know this because I was watching a syndicated repeat of that silly show on the afternoon of April 4, 1968, when a news bulletin cut into regular programming to announce that Dr. King had been shot and killed earlier that day.
I did not know who he was.
I quickly got to know, in part, on the strength of my third and fourth grade teachers at Holy Rosary Elementary School in West Seattle, and then I never forgot.
Our recent handful of years
With an over half-trillion dollar burden set firmly on the backs of Americans not yet born, the powers-that-be recently bailed out the powerful who failed us.
And some number of millions of everyday Americans participated as well, in the pursuit of a piece of the glittering illusion: unbelievably rapidly appreciating equity.
Any number of common desk working brokers and agents just “did what the boss told us” to earn fast, fat commissions.
Regulators, overseers are somewhat difficult to blame. They, too, like the profits, were largely imaginary, nonexistent. Those who existed sat by, quite silent.
Today, a Senator from Illinois engenders, through no fault of his own, racist sentiments from various pockets all about our country.
And this is seven score and three years after the end of the Civil War.
And meanwhile another chunk of trillion has been thrown at a conflagration, a quagmire, in the Middle East that, inarguably, Dr. King would have opposed.
A great speech
And so I bring to you today words earnestly delivered by Dr. King, less than a year before he died. Officially it is titled: "Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam."
It could quite well be subtitled: “The Giant Triplets Speech.”
It could also be called: “Please Don’t Make Our Country Look Like This in the First Decade of the 21st Century.”
If only all we Americans had recited or read, daily, his powerful words, spoken forty-one years ago:
“When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered.”
In our modest blog offices it was suggested: Should we post and highlight this speech two days before Election Day?
We “Woodwarded and Bernsteined and Bradleed” this about. Would some be offended? Might some misunderstand?
Perhaps some will.
Some always do.
Any complaints? Send them to me.
Any credit or compliments? They go to Dr. King.
Here is a recording of, in my opinion, a stunning and timeless speech from the greatest and most courageous leader of my lifetime.
When you hear Dr. King’s words, spoken less than a year before he passed, does your heart beat fast?
I should expect and hope it would.
Perhaps your eyes water at certain points.
You’re in good company if they do, I assure.
Never heard this speech before? You are not to blame. We live in a “forget the past” society. Additionally, Dr. King’s other stunning and courageous works, including “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” happen to overshadow his own genius, literary and oratory greatness and prescience displayed at other times in his life.
Does the speech seem familiar? Please give it a listen again, in the relative stillness of this, the day most often set aside for meaningful thought, then send a note to that Social Studies teacher from grade six, your History professor from college, your Speech Coach and thank her or him for the initial introduction.
Send the links to your nephew in the Navy, your sisters from the old sorority, your Aunt in Auburn or Alabama, your boss in Bellevue, your kid in college.
Move it along the internet line to your favorite State Rep or least favorite Congressman, the most ethical attorney you know, or maybe even the least trustworthy scumbag Wall Street suit you are glad you never met, or, perhaps, are sorry you ever did.
Print out Dr. King’s words (we’ll get that link to you soon), fold it up and send them along with warmth in your Holiday greetings later this Autumn.
And so, on this Contemplative Sunday Holiday
No matter for whom you wish to loft into office with the fuel of your ballot this Tuesday, I am sure we can all agree, today, on this Contemplative Sunday, the following goal: Let us all, now and in these crucial near years, stare down those Giant and Ugly Triplets and knock them off their high perch for good.
Thanks.
–Mark Neuman
mark@b-townblog.com
Do ya ever wonder how to figure out if that glad-handin’, baby-kissin’, door-to-door knockin’ political candidate you’re thinking of voting for would make a good elected official?
And how does one judge a good judge? By the material of their cape or what?
The answers to those and other important political questions have been answered every year for the past 93 years thanks to the hard work and efforts of local citizens who participate in the Municipal League of King County’s candidate evaluation process.
Now is your chance to help your fellow citizens be well-informed before they vote.
In case you were wondering, the Municipal League of King County is a non-partisan organization dedicated to informed decision making and open government. The Municipal League researches policy issues, evaluates candidates, communicates its findings and then mobilizes citizens to action when needed. The group is made up of diverse citizens from throughout King County who are united by a commitment to good government.
The Municipal League is looking for volunteers to evaluate political candidates for a variety of public offices. As a volunteer you will be asked to research work histories and references of candidates; interview candidates; and recommend candidate ratings. The final result is a Voter’s Guide designed to provide useful, nonpartisan information prior to the Aug. 21 primary.
Candidates are rated on four criteria:
- Involvement
- Character
- Effectiveness
- Knowledge
The league does not use partisan criteria and does not endorse candidates. You will be asked to evaluate candidates only to determine their fitness for office. This year, candidates throughout King County will be evaluated in races for the state legislature and judicial offices.
Having a group of volunteers with diverse backgrounds and views is important to ensuring high quality and unbiased candidate ratings. Volunteers must be able to leave their political leanings at the door. Knowledge of or interest in local politics is a plus. Prior experience is not necessary. Volunteer work takes place throughout June.
For more information and applications contact the Municipal League at (206) 264-1070 or visit their website at www.munileague.org.
And remember… good government doesn’t just happen. Good government is the result of good people like you (the astute, intelligent reader of this here Blog) getting involved!
You’d have to dig a bit to find this, so we thought we’d save you the hassle and post this very interesting Comment from an apparent nephew of Ben Laumea, the father of six who was tragically shot and killed at the MVP Sports Bar in Burien last Sunday morning:
I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY PPL JUS WANT TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT. MY UNKO WAS A GREAT MAN WITH A BIG HEART…HE WAS THE BABYY IN THE FAMILY. AND TO THE GUY WHO SHOT MY UNKO YOU BETTER BE VERY THANKFUL THAT LAW ENFORcEMENT GOT YOU 1ST……MAY YOU REST IN LOVE UNKO BEN ALWAYS IN OURS HEARTS AND ON OUR MINDS. I LOVE YOU FOREVER UNTIL THAT DAY WE MEET AGAIN. IA MANUIA LOU MAGALA. I LOVE YOU UNKO B……………………..
UPDATE (8pm 5/7/08):
Bruce Sivao “Monk” Matagi, 27, of Auburn, was charged by King County prosecutors with first-degree murder for the shooting death of Laumea.
If convicted, the sentence range is 26 to 33 years in prison.
Matagi is being held in the King County Jail on $3 million bail.
He is scheduled to be arraigned May 15 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Investigators say Laumea was shot once in the head with an AK-47 early Sunday at the MVP Sports Bar, where he used to work.
Witnesses say he was attempting to stop Matagi, who came into the bar and started shooting at the ceiling, allegedly with an AK-47.
UPDATE 7:30am 5/6/08: Sadly, Ben Laumea, the victim of a shooting at the MVP Sports Bar early Sunday, died yesterday of injuries suffered.
According the the Bellingham Herald, King County prosecutors have filed charges in the case of a man who was shot in the head with what a witness says was an assault rifle.
Bruce Sivao Matagi is scheduled for arraignment May 15 at the Regional Justice Center in Kent on charges of attempted first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors said Monday they would ask that bail be set at $3 million.
First reports were that Ben Laumea, a father of six, was in such bad shape that deputies initially reported him dead. Doctors at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle allegedly found that the bullet entered Laumea’s and exited the back of his skull.
He has since passed away from his injuries.
He risked his life early Sunday when a gunman burst into the bar in Burien around 1 am with an assault rifle. The gunman began firing in the crowded bar, riddling the ceiling with bullet holes as bar patrons fled for cover.
When the gunman reached the front of the bar, he got into a scuffle with Laumea, who used to work as a bouncer at the bar. That’s when Laumea took a bullet and slumped behind the bar. The shooter fled the scene and no one else was hurt.
Friends and family call him “Big Ben.”
“Big guy, Big teddy bear,” said family friend Tikeri Liousamoa.
Liousamoa says she talked to Laumea just hours before gunfire erupted.
“It’s kind of hard and see someone that day and then in five minutes, you lose them, or something bad happens to them,” she said, wiping away the tears.
Laumea worked for years at the bar in the 12800 block of Ambaum Boulevard. He wasn’t working Saturday, but jumped in to help when the gunman began firing recklessly.
Liousamoa hears the shooting may be savage payback.
“From what they said he was targeting Ben,” she said.
A bouncer recognized the gunman as a former customer who was kicked out of the bar several days earlier for fighting.
“When you hear your own people hurting each other, it’s a blow,” said Liousamoa. “Samoans, you know, we have big hearts. We were taught better than that.”
Formerly known as Mario’s, this bar has seen its share of troubles before, most notoriously in 1974 when serial killer Ted Bundy killed Brenda Ball, whom he met there.
SOURCES:
5/4/08 5pm UPDATE: A man was shot inside Burien’s MVP Sports Bar early Sunday morning, and police are still on the lookout for the person who pulled the trigger.
According to King County sheriff’s deputies, the victim was shot with an assault rifle inside the bar (located at 12803 Ambaum Blvd SW) just before 1am.
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he is in critical condition according to Seattle police. Earlier reports claimed that the victim had died.
The shooter fled the scene after the incident, and so far, there’s no description of the suspect.
Law enforcement officials said the incident began between midnight and 1 a.m. when the suspect came to the bar.
A bouncer recognized him as a former customer who was kicked out several days earlier for fighting, and refused to let him in.
The man left and then returned within a minute, bursting through the back door of the bar with an assault rifle in his hands, witnesses told police.
He began blazing away – mostly firing into the ceiling – as bar patrons scrambled for cover. The man worked his way across the bar to the front door, still firing away, witnesses told King County sheriff’s deputies.
As the man reached the front of the bar, he got into a scuffle with a customer who used to work as a bouncer at the bar. The gunman shot the customer, and the customer fell behind the bar.
Whilst on the scene this afternoon, we saw no evidence of gunshots, blood or other scene-of-the-crime stuff, but we did not get inside where the shooting took place.
Formerly known as Mario’s, this bar has seen its share of troubles before, most notoriously in 1974 when serial killer Ted Bundy killed Brenda Ball, whom he met there.
NEWS VIDEOS:
Here are some photos, taken around Noon today:
SOURCE:
