King Funeral Hijacking

This is a picture of the late Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr. who passed away earlier this month. As a white male, I can only appreciate Mrs. King (and Mr. King) from my own perspective. They were not symbols of any personal cause of mine. I have known no racial wars and have not been the victim of a single racial incident. So it may be a bit odd that I had always been impressed with Coretta Scott King.

Mrs. King always seemed so poised and beautiful when she would end up in the spotlight of the news, usually around February and usually tied to the cause of civil rights. That's it, there is not much more that I can say about her. What a wonderful life she must have had after enduring the incredible tragedy of losing her husband. May her family be comforted and her good works truly do good for other people.

Now to the hijacking...

In my life I have had the opportunity to participate in over a dozen funerals. Babys, children and many older men and women who lived long lives. Everyone of them was a spiritual experience. Everyone of them had two key and identical attributes: 1. They addressed the life of the departed loved one and 2. They addressed the plan of salvation and the concept that there is life after death and that there is opportunity in death, an opportunity for the living who remain to be better men and women.

I listened to President George W. Bush give his eulogy at Mrs. King's funeral and it reminded me of the great burden and difficult task it is to speak at a funeral. He did well. In his less than six minute talk he spoke of Mrs. King's strength and contributions. I learned something about her and her family. I knew she was a Christian woman and that Mr. Bush was a Christian man.

Somehow a sacred service that should maybe last an hour, or perhaps an hour and a half drug on for 6 hours... and turned political. Some of the comments from the people who spoke (including former President Carter) were totally inappropriate, not only for a funeral, but inappropriate when directed at President Bush who was in attendance, sitting directly behind the podium. Zero class on the part of many of the speakers.

If my mother was being laid to rest and this type of crap was going on I would blow a gasket. I wonder which of the King children will be on CNN with Larry King to complain and that their mother's funeral was no place to be talking politics.

Shame on everyone who walked up onto that stage with an agenda or a desire to have attention drawn to themselves in place of Mrs. King.

RIP Coretta.

TK