Yolanda King’s speech was quoted (“King inspires, shares dream with Eugene,” ODE, Oct. 23) saying, “‘Because Rose Parks chose to stand up that day by remaining seated, she started a movement,’” a “movement that had far-reaching effects for Americans” where those who give lip service to racial equality are expect “‘to walk the walk.’” To stand up and start a walking movement by sitting down is a kind of metaphysical acrobatics worthy of a speech in Eugene. MLK took as a watchword for the cause Rosa Parks’ statement, “I was tired,” applying it to how blacks felt in general.
The article recounts, “The city renamed Centennial Boulevard as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after extensive public debate on the change.” We could have used more debate on the renaming. It could run afoul of the courts. MLK’s father visiting Germany was so impressed by the church reformer Martin Luther that he changed his name and his son’s name to Martin Luther King. The erosion of symbols with religious overtones will likely get to church reformers and someone will need a test case. Eugene provides one ready made as our Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard comes right up to the shadow of the erstwhile cross on Skinner’s Butte, which although was voted by the citizens of Eugene a war memorial, the courts decided was a religious symbol and had to come down.
If we have to change the name of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, every road in the nation named for King will have to follow suit, and Eugene will get a reputation of being either the most racist city in the nation or the stupidest. We burn crosses by removing them.
In his “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” King responded to the criticism of his breaking the law by saying he was in favor of the law promoting school integration, which a lot of people were not following, and he was willing to obey just laws but not the unjust ones. He admits, though, that breaking the law is a strange way to promote the law. Well, the autobiography of Lionel “Hamp” Hampton has brought out the behind-the-scenes manipulation by President Eisenhower at the behest of the NAACP, of the Supreme Court in that ruling against segregation.
So let’s see. Desegregation was the just law King was following as opposed to unjust ones, but even Eisenhower admits he pressured the Court in a way he was not supposed to, and the NAACP who did the behind-the-scenes number now wants to honor King, who thought it strange to break laws to promote them. I know that living in Eugene means that not everything we do has to make sense, but give me a metaphysical cross on the hill or seat on the bus any day.
I vaguely remember a country song, “I don’t care if it rains or freezes / ‘Long as I got my plastic Jesus / On the dashboard of my car.” Do we disregard practical ways to please God and relate to our fellow man, where the rubber meets the road, just because we have a plastic Jesus on the dashboard and a King’s name on a road sign?