[tw]

Funny how things change over time. The movies 'Wizard of Oz' and 'Its a Wonderful Life' were unsuccessful in their time. The former went through six directors and was considered a near disaster. These things only took on new perspective with age.

MLK's "I've got a dream" speech was not the powerful, landmark speech in mainstream America at that time. More well known, for example, was Wallace's speech in blocking the doorway when confronted by US Asst Attorney General. Another example, I strongly remember Howard Cosell's tirades against the injustice done to Cassius Clay on his ABC radio show "Speaking of Sports". MLK's speech was never really played in its entirity at that time. It was only over a decade later when I heard the speech in full that I suddenly appreciated what the man had said.

I do remember watching when evening TV was interrupted announcing King's murder. I distinctly remember what my next thought was. "All hell is going to break loose". I had absolutely no doubt about that. It was, I thought, the final straw and expected the worse. (We didn't know about our future with Nixon.) How many more assassination could one nation withstand. Then RFK was killed. Killing important people was business as usual then. We do live in a different time where killing is actually something not to be taken lightly. Your could be teenagers of different color in the same car - more than enough justification to be murdered - back then.

Today, many don't appreciate what was more important back then. Today many people forgot how much closer they supported the other side. I still have friends from those days who mock the idea of an MLK day - since back then, that would have probably been the majority opinion.