Friday, January 16, 2004

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16 JAN 04: FIT FOR A KING?



Had he lived that long, Thursday would have been Martin Luther King Junior's 75th birthday. For those of you planning to mark the occasion this weekend - no, it would NOT be appropriate to hide a diamond in a "king cake."



President Bush traveled to Atlanta Thursday, to leave a wreath at Dr. King's crypt. Hundreds of people protested the visit - but how many of them stopped to ask why Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley-Braun haven't done it?



Some of the protesters at the King Memorial in Atlanta accused President Bush of leaving a wreath at the crypt merely for political reasons. The accusers included some ministers, who ought to know the Bible verse about "judge not according to the appearance...."



(Then again, I guess that's the problem. This was the first time President Bush HAD made an appearance there.)



Coretta Scott King said her family did NOT invite President Bush to the family memorial in Atlanta, but she "welcomed" the visit. This is about the same as Sheriff Ralph Johnson visiting the church where Kenneth Walker's widow attends.



I bring up "King Week" events because of an item I heard on the radio Thursday. Girls Inc. is holding an M.L.K. girls' basketball tournament all day Monday, at its new Baker Village complex. Is that really a proper way to honor this civil rights leader? Well, maybe if a team walks off the court to protest an official's call....



This year marks 20 years for me as a Georgia resident, and I've seen various groups struggle to come to terms with how to celebrate King Day. One flyer I saw at an Atlanta Kroger store in the 1980's said employees could mark the day by wearing clothing that was either black or white. Huh?!?! Aren't we supposed to end this sort of separatism?



Then there was the night I drove through the east side of Atlanta, and saw a laundromat offering "free driers" as an M.L.K. Day special. I saw this and said to myself: "Free at last, free at last - thank God almighty, they're free at last!"



Columbus will mark King Day weekend with a variety of other events:


+ A downtown parade Saturday afternoon will feature former boxing champion Evander Holyfield as grand marshal. All spectators are urged to bring "Atkins Diet" products, to show him they're really trying to lose weight.



+ A "choral extravaganza" Sunday night at the RiverCenter will feature glee clubs from Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, as well as Tuskegee University. The ticket price will pay for scholarships at these institutions - with none of it going to Morris Brown College, which needs every penny it can get to stay open.



+ An annual "unity breakfast" tradition will continue Monday morning at the Trade Center. If William Howell of the Rainbow/PUSH coalition doesn't show up, will this mean the economic boycott is on - or he simply overslept?



BLOG UPDATE: The big day has arrived! This afternoon I'll use that Piggly Wiggly gift certificate that caused me a moral dilemma for weeks. [14 Dec 03] So with apologies to the folks in Vienna, Georgia, this will be MY "Big Pig Jig."



William Howell of Rainbow/PUSH resolved my moral quandary earlier in the week, when he declared the group's boycott of Piggly Wiggly ended years ago. To be honest, I was planning to go shopping there no matter what he said. After all, a gift certificate for free food should cost this company money.



(If members of the church I attend are reading this blog - yes, I WILL tithe on the gift certificate. I've already been in a Piggly Wiggly store, and scouted out some nice cakes for the snack table.)



Sit down for this one: for years my grocery day budget has been $30 - and this Piggly Wiggly gift certificate is for (ahem) substantially more than that. I may have to make four trips around the store, to use up the whole thing.



(Yes, I said a grocery budget of $30 a trip -- and I make a full trip every two weeks. Can you tell I'm a single guy? Especially one who doesn't buy any beer?)



In a way, I'm relieved the Piggly Wiggly boycott is over - because for the last couple of months, I've personally been boycotting Wal-Mart. It's because the company is accused of hiring all those illegal immigrants. And let's face it, most Wal-Mart SuperCenters don't sell fresh burritos.



Meanwhile, another telemarketer called me Thursday afternoon claiming to be from "The Phone Company." "Momentum?" I asked. [9 Jan] No, this was "Epic USA" - another company I've never heard of. If I keep getting calls like this, I'm going to phone BellSouth and ask if there's been another break-up.



Now some other quick items from a nice January Thursday....


+ Georgia House Speaker Pro-Tem DuBose Porter told GPB's "Lawmakers" he opposes any move to base HOPE scholarships on S.A.T. scores. In his words, it's "a test that has nothing to do with achievement." Oh really?! For many students, showing "Scholastic Aptitude" will be an achievement.



(So you aren't confused: the S.A.T. used by colleges to evaluate applicants is the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The S.A.T. given to children during the year is the Stanford Achievement Test. And the S.A.T. many high school football teams flunk every fall is the Shaw Athletic Test.)



+ The Muscogee County Humane Society complained too many people are confusing it with the city's Animal Control Department. So please, you C.S.U. pranksters - stop the phone calls about "mad cow" sightings.



+ One TV newscast did a nice story on Auburn artist James Dean, who's created a popular series of paintings with "Pete" the blue housecat. To borrow from an old country music act, collectors would buy "Pete" and "Re-Pete."



(And when it's all put on display, what would you have? A "Blue Cat Group," of course....)



+ Instant message to WHAL Radio: Shouldn't you stop the "Gospel 24/7" announcements when you're airing Auburn basketball games? I don't hear Rod Bramblett praising God very much.



COMING THIS WEEKEND: A quickie wedding.... and it has nothing to do with Britney Spears....



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