King Statue Overhaul ... Not Terrible

When I first heard that the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue was getting toned down from a having frown to a smile, I was pretty annoyed. The federal arts commission also didn't like that his arms were crossed, as that was "too confrontational." But come on, what was King, if he wasn't confrontational? It's like people want to turn him into the grandpa in the Werther's Original commercials, or something. But then I saw the picture which ran in the AJC. (Click image for a larger version.) On the left is the old, unfriendly version. On the right is the altered, more benign version. I think the new version is a definite improvement. Something in the brow was distinctly... not King-like. The version with a hint o' smile simply looks more like him. And they kept the arms crossed. King looks sorta like he's surveying the land, not expressing approval or disapproval, just observing. Me likey. Update: I wasn't familiar with the brouhaha over the statue having a Chinese sculptor until recently. To that, I say, pshaw. King didn't just make a difference in the U.S., he was an inspiration globally, even while he was being reviled at home ("Beyond Vietnam" speech, anyone?). King isn't the property of black Americans, and seeing him through the eyes of a so-called outsider can be nothing but beneficial.

peace vs. violence

I've been on a quote spree, and I was looking at some Malcolm quotes, in an effort to understand why he doesn't get any love. Obviously the violence (if necessary) he advocated was a turn off to those who decide who's worthy of remembrance. But why do we pick peace (MLK) over violence (Malcolm)? Because peace isn't scary. What people fail to realize is that which is scary is only scary because it's unknown. Violence leads to the unknown (sometimes better, as in the French Revolution; sometimes worse, as in Israel/Kenya/Afghanistan). Peace leads to...? Anyway, I came across this Malcolm quote, and I love it. Hopefully I can live it.

"Don't be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn't do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn't know what you know today."

Words to live by

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I think this is the most relevant King quote for 2008.