Reader comments
King holiday tests Utahns' commitment to diversity

Legal Utah Worker | 4:05 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

It does not matter what changes in the law may, or may not, take; I will continue to work on Martin Luther King day to honnor him. He would have wanted it that way.

wjmom | 7:13 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Well put, Legal Utah Worker. I think Dr. King would prefer people honor him by working. He worked very hard toward social acceptance of all people, a worthy effort on his part. How sad that he died because of the opposite situation. I hope people will truly honor him for his efforts in a great cause.

Hard worker from St George | 7:40 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

I also feel working on Martin Luther King Day would show our commitment to human rights. He was a great man and set the stage for many to have the freedoms we all enjoy today.

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 7:56 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Is that the silliest headline you could come up with? Seriously. This article has virtually nothing to do with "Utahns commitment to diversity."

Civil Rights Day | 9:16 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

I refuse to call today "MLK Day". I have no problems with the guy, and think he did some good things to help human rights progress, but I liked Human Rights Day better. There is no Cesar Chavez Day, no holiday for the Asian Americans. There are many ethnic groups that get no representation. To me, today will always be Civil Rights Day.

King deserves great Honor | 10:30 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

The reason he is honored, is that he is the most influencial and eloquient of the civil rights leaders. Just as we don't call christmas, atonement day, or the pathegorean theorem, the theorem of right triangles, instead we honor the doers or inventors. He gave his life for his cause and he deserves to be honored. His contribution ranks right up there with the best of the founding fathers.

I think it odd that such a "christian" country as this could have such problems with civil rights. Doesn't christianity teach, "treat others as you would want to be treated"? Yet the churches fell short on this most important of subjects, it took Martin Luther King to do what they should have done long before and all along.

PC Hater | 10:31 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

How about "Overrated Hypocrite Day?" That would be more historically accurate if we're talking about the REAL Martin Luther King.

>There is no Cesar Chavez Day

We could just broaden it and have "Criminal Thug Day."

Today's Monday. Quit playing revolutionary and go to work. Race is irrelevant.

Martin Luther King Day | 10:40 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Many people were involved in bringing about the social and legal changes that increased civil rights. Martin Luther King was the face of the movement and he paid for it with his life. He did something that no one else had done until that time, which was to change the attitude of white America so that the racism that had been prevalent throughout the history of our country was no longer acceptable. Racism still exists and the struggle continues, but Dr King represents a significant change in cultural attitude, and for that reason the day is properly named Martin Luther King Day.

No MLK lover | 11:03 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Martin Luther King was a womanizer and plagiarizer. His public persona as an ordained Baptist minister, was totally different from his private life. He does not deserve a national holiday. Have a Human Rights Day, but I can never honor such a hypocrite as MLK.

No disrespect | 11:04 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

I am glad Luther played a part in Civil rights, I know there is a hidden story about his life and principals as well. I hope we can focus on the good he has done.

What I find ironic is that all of our preisdents including Abe share 1 day and Martin gets his own?

It releates to how I feel about Affermative action, I am so glad we are all equal and have equal oppertunities, but lets not be hypocrites and start holding back the WHITES or MALES because of their skin color or gender! We are not standing up to the values Martin or any of our other fathers fought so hard for!

Re: King deserves honor | 11:10 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

to say MLK deserves to be up there with the founding fathers is ludicrous. Not even close to what the founding fathers went thru. Then to give him a holiday and take away from Washington and Lincoln is a grave injustice. It's all apart of political correctness and the frear people hace to be called a racist

Bob | 11:25 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Dr. King has taken all the shots that bigots and haters can dish out and with each passing MLK day, his message of inspiration and hope, along with our need for strength in our leaders, makes him a true hero in the eyes of more and more Americans and citizens of the world. And that just drives bigots nuts. Happy Birthday, Dr. King!! And thank you.

What Greatness is | 11:37 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

MLK was indeed a womanizer, yet inspite of this he was great, one of the greatest Americans who ever lived, A great person is not one who doesn't have faults, but a person who contributes great things that exceed by far their shortcomings and other mens accomplishmentgs. Being a womanizer is small patatoes compared to his great accomplishments.

Re Re: King dererves Honor | 11:47 a.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Oh really? What ever did the founders do that greatly exceeds his accomplishment? As great as the contributions of the founders were, they had a great smear on it and hole in them, slavery and the attitude that people among us could be treated like sub humans with no rights. The founders took a great step forward, but their accomplishments were incomplete. MLK in great measure completed their work, and I am confident that the founders would be proud that as great of a person as MLK, called the country they founded, his country and then made such great contributions to it, His faults are small patatoes compared to his great accomplishments and only small minds would insist on focusing on these rather than the great light and great man that MLK was.

More PC | 12:14 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

This day is just another shining example of the PC crowd valuing style over substance. When we start paying the appropriate respect to James Madison and other founding fathers I will be mare deferential to MLK. I will not be voting to change the opening day of the Utah State Legislature; unless I can vote to put it in recess indefinitely. But anyway, thanks for the day off. I think I'll go 4X4ing.

Mike | 1:04 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

The eloquent words from Dr. King said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It's too bad that the PC/Diversity crowd just give lip service to them and try to twist them toward their own ends.

King wanted to be a uniter, not a divider. The PC/Diversity crowd wants us judged by our race/sexual orientation/genger/hair color/etc. Not by how we act or what we do, or by our character.

If the words of the "I Have A Dream" speech are to be believed, then we need to get rid of "diversity" and embrace everyone, regardless of who they are.

That said, there are still some things that society shouldn't have to accept, because of "diversity" which is fodder for another day.

For now Dr. King deserves his holiday. So do our greatest Presidents, Washington and Lincoln. Not some drummed up day like "Presidents Day". We should honor both. Besides, then the government workers get another day off. So do the banks.

. . . unless you're Mitt | 1:13 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Human Rights day seems more meaningful this year, now that we're in the throes of a campaign between some of the most diverse candidates ever.

I thank Martin Luther King for his part in making it possible for any little boy or girl in America to grow up and become presi----OOPS--unless you're a Latter-day Saint, that is.

Guess we still have a long way to go.

No MLK lover | 1:20 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Womanizing and plagiarizing are "small potatoes"? Wow! What is happening to our world? Normally when a man of the cloth is found having sexual relations outside of marriage, he is dismissed from the ministry, and a person caught plagiarizing his college papers, is kicked out of school. I don't believe being an adulterer and plagiarizer (thief), are small potatoes, I guess unless MLK is your hero.

I suppose MLK was taught as a young child, that the most important thing is to be on your best behavior when in public, but when no one is looking, it is OK to be bad.

In about 30 years, the FBI tapes on MLK will be unsealed, and the debauchery of MLK's personal life will be fully exposed.

Scooter | 1:48 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

I will always call it "Human Rights Day"!
MLK was a good man that spoke for all, of any race.
Those who only want to point out his faults, put your life up to the public eye ... Hmmmmmm!
Those who cry "racism" because we want to call it "Human Rights Day", why do you want to bring race into it?

AIMHO

Re: Re: Re: King deseves honor | 2:02 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Every one of the founding fathers faced hanging by treason if they lost. Because of their courage, you are allowed to make your ignorant statements. Don't down play their great accomplishments to try and build up those of Dr. King. See the truth for what it really is instead of promoting your illogical ideas.

Re No MLK lover | 2:22 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Let Christ be the Judge, which commandment did he say was greater? Adultery, or Loving your neighboor as yourself? (Matthew 22:4) What he did with women affected few people and only moderately compared to being discrinimated against your whole life, what he did in his ministry liberated millions upon millions. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Marianne in Texas | 2:29 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

MLK is getting TWO parades here in Houston! Ridiculous!

Re: No MLK Lover | 2:39 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Yes MLK womanizing is small patatoes compared to his civil rights accomplishments. Who better to decide this than his own wife?, who was hurt by his womanizing, but helped by his civil rights accomplishments. She herself honored her great husband until the end of her life. Who cares if pastors are dismissed from the ministry if they womanize. Even if he was dismissed, his greatness goes beyond his being a minister or pastor, Ministers are a dime a dozen yet to few of them have stood up for civil rights like he did. Now the question what would Jesus say? In his book treating others as you would be treated was the second greatest commandment, more important than adultery, (see Matthew 22:39 and 40). Even if MLK wife rejected him, it still wouldn't matter, for helped millions and hurt only one in that case.

kitenoa | 4:30 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a larger than life symbol of human rights. His efforts encompass all that is dignified about all people, regardless of their background. He continues to give hope to the downtrodden, poor, underserved, or minorities in America including other people from around the globe. The message remains, ï¿½together we can overcome all adversities!ï¿½

Tai H. | 4:55 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Under written directives from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the FBI began tracking King and the SCLC. Its investigations revealed in 1962 that one of King's most trusted advisers was New York City lawyer Stanley Levison. The FBI found that Levison had been involved with the Communist Party USAï¿½to which another key King lieutenant, Hunter Pitts O'Dell, was also linked by sworn testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. The Bureau placed wiretaps on Levison and King's home and office phones, and bugged King's rooms in hotels as he traveled across the country. For his part, King adamantly denied having any connections to Communism; to which Hoover responded by calling King "the most notorious liar in the country."

With those wiretaps, the FBI discovered that King and other leaders in the SCLC were using tax-exempt money from the SCLC to buy prostitutes and engage in other lascivious conduct. Ralph Abernathy even said in his deathbed autobiography that King was a severe womanizer. Lyndon B. Johnson called Martin King a ï¿½hypocrite preacherï¿½.

If King is such a patron saint, why did Coretta Scott King and a gutless Democratic Congress seal until 2027, the transcripts resulting from the FBI's wire-taps?

Why King? | 5:01 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

The only other birthdays that this nation celebrates are Washington & Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, and the Savior Jesus Christ.

Of all people in this WORLD, why does Martin Luther King share with Washington, Lincoln, Columbus, and the Lord - the distinction of having his birthday celebrated.

I can think of at least a dozen people that would come before Martin Luther King. Elvis Presley for starts...

wallyworld | 5:06 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Yes, Marianne is right MiLK has "TWO" parades in Houston and those "TWO" groups go court each year to sue each other on who gets to march were, downtown, and when, in the morning. The other group who loses has to march somewheres else at the same time. I guess they think Houston is a small podunk town. BUT hey, Houston is a big city, why can't they just combine there groups and have one BIG parade through downtown. I think "the King" would approve.

Who cares about communists? | 5:18 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

If Communists supported MLK then communists did the United States a favor. Who cares if MLK was involved with communists? The important thing is what he did about civil rights.

Missing the Point | 5:34 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

All you people nit picking about MLK are missing the point, sure he had his faults, but his accomplishments were far greater. How or why can't you see that? There are comments here that he should have been kicked out as a minister, Huh? What kind of reasoning is that? Who cares. His greatness did not come from being a minister, he was much larger than that, his accomplishments were much larger than that. Because of him, the civil rights bill was passed, millions now have rights that only whites in this country could take for granted before that. What kind of small mind cares if he was or could have been kicked out as a minister, or if he had communist friends? Even his wife who he stepped out on could see this, why can't you. Or if he didn't say excuse me when he burped etc, etc, etc, all you people are missing the point. You should be grateful, not a bunch of nit picky whiners.

MLK in Great Company | 5:44 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Even Jesus in his day had his detractors, people who found all kinds of bad things to say about him. A great man with great accomplishments, who was nitpicked by small minds of the day. MLK you are in good company.

What's this World Coming to? | 6:27 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Martin Luther King consorting with communists, Jesus eating with publicans and sinners, What is this world coming to?

Contrarian | 8:22 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

For the first sixty-four years of its existence the NAACP never had a single black man as president. All its leaders until the mid-seventies were Jews, not black people. Martin Luther King, Jr. was similarly "re-created" and "handled" by the same people who saw political value in undermining the American white majority and causing divisiveness in the name of "civil rights". King was a plagiarist, with a PhD given to him by professors who had to ignore the blatant incompetence and plagiarism in his dissertation. He was moved along a trajectory that gave him only the appearance of education and wisdom with none of the substance. His personal secretary was a communist homosexual who was caught having sex with some fellow-travelers in a car after leftist meeting. His Jewish handler was Stanley Levinson who was in charge of fundraising, funneling money from the Soviets to the Communist Party USA, doing King's income tax returns, and editing (writing) books and speeches. Black people should be careful who they adopt as "leaders".

The Problem | 9:04 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

MLKing was a very good public speaker and should be an inspiration to all our young people to learn to express themselves in public. The speaker gets remembered, and given greater credit.

The irony of the holiday is that MLKing was just one of many leaders who developed the ideas he was the spokesman for. At least a dozen others should be mentioned each time we celebrate giant breakthroughs toward treating all humanely.
Just not one man's birthday. It slights the other deserving men and women.

Joe | 9:15 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

I think to much is being made out of whether the legislature is in or out. Basically it boils down to just another day to go shopping, because someone is having a "sale" or since the kids are out of school another day to hit the slopes, go to the movies etc. Much more could be done to honor Dr. King if the kids were in school and the legislature was doing there work.

Mark B | 9:41 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

Boy, the things you learn here. Thanks, Mr. Contrarian. I guess the people Dr. King hung out with were so horrible as to repudiate the ENTIRE civil rights movement, and that, CONTRARY to what we normally think, the moral high ground was actually held by the KKK and other white supremacist groups who were just self-proclaimed CHRISTIANS, trying to hate for everyone.
Can't we realize that the final disappearance of segregation from our society could have been much different, and much more violent than it was? White and black Americans should thank God that the leader most responsible for race change in this country was committed to the principle of non-violence.

anti-contrarian | 11:34 p.m. Jan. 21, 2008

So MLK was a jew-loving, pro-homo, communist? LOL! you sound like my grandmother that went to her grave calling black americans the n-word.

Contrarian, you my friend are joke. I can't believe your conspiracy theory dribble. MLK's a womanizing, pro-gay, communist, Jew lover...LOL! Did you leave any thing out? I don't think so.

Oh, and for your info...Thomas Jefferson had multiple children out of wedlock, some of them by he slaves. I personally find it much more morally reprehensible to not only have slaves, but to have sex with them than for a guy to be a "womanizer"...but I'm sure that the Jefferson rumors aren't fact, but MLK rumors are undeniable facts! LOL!

Not true about Jefferson | 7:48 a.m. Jan. 22, 2008

Anti-contrarian: You need to do your homework better. The fact is we do NOT know for certain if Thomas Jefferson was the father of the children of slave Sally Hemings. What we do know by DNA testing, is that it's likely that a Jefferson male was the father. There were eight male Jefferson relatives, who lived within 100 miles of Monticello, including younger brother Randolph, who was known to frequent Monticello often.

We do know for certain that MLK did have numerous sexual relationships outside of his marriage, and did plagiarize numerous papers all through his college days, including his doctorial thesis, and even part of his "I Have a Dream Speech."

Contrarian | 6:55 p.m. Jan. 22, 2008

By any measure the lives of black people in the US have not been improved since Martin Luther King, Jr., stood at the forefront of the civil rights movement. They may sit where they want in the bus or go to school with white children, but their families have been devastated, they fill the prisons, their children are not better educated or happier in school, and a hundred fifty years after slavery they still live in a racially and culturally foreign land. None of these things can be corrected by "civil rights" and of course those who stood behind MLK knew that from the beginning. Their purpose was to use black people against the white people; it was not to help blacks as has been so amply demonstrated.

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King holiday tests Utahns' commitment to diversity

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Reader comments King holiday tests Utahns' commitment to diversity

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King holiday tests Utahns' commitment to diversity