Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Il morto salira' dalla tomba...

Bush che va a rendere omaggio a Martin Luther King (ovviamente, nel
ritaglio
di tempo rimasto da una cena con sostenitori politici, a 2000$ a
piatto).
Chissa' se il reverendo non uscira' dalla tomba a prendere a schiaffi
il presidente...
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0115-03.htm
Published on Thursday, January 15, 2004 by the New York Times 
Bush Plan to Honor Dr. King Stirs Criticism 
by Jeffrey Gettleman and Ariel Hart
 
ATLANTA, Jan. 15 — When President Bill Clinton came to town on the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, crowds poured into the
streets to watch him lay a wreath at the foot of Dr. King's grave.
His administration has never supported anything to help the poor,
education, or children.  It's all about isolationism and greed for the
upper class. That's not promoting the legacy of Dr. King.
Rev. Raphael Allen
Concerned Black Clergy
On Thursday, President Bush is coming to town. And the streets may be
full again.
Many of Atlanta's civil rights leaders are outraged about Mr. Bush's
planned visit to commemorate Dr. King's 75th birthday and are using
the occasion for protests. Already, they have marched with bullhorns,
signs and thumping drums, shouting for the president to stay away.
"His administration has never supported anything to help the poor,
education, or children," said the Rev. Raphael Allen, vice president
of programs at Concerned Black Clergy. "It's all about isolationism
and greed for the upper class. That's not promoting the legacy of Dr.
King."
Many demonstrators asked how Mr. Bush, who pushed for war in Iraq,
could champion Dr. King, who stood for nonviolent resistance.
"It's hypocritical," said Minister Mmoja Ajabu of Providence
Missionary Baptist Church.
Pointing to Dr. King's tomb, a slab of white marble overlooking a
reflecting pool, Mr. Ajabu added, "It's quite possible that Dr. King
will get up out of his grave there and say, `What's going on here?
You're killing so many people?' "
Civil rights leaders said the hastily planned presidential visit, to
be followed by a $2,000-a-person fund-raiser in Atlanta, is
interfering with birthday plans. They also said coupling a visit to
honor Dr. King with a political fund-raiser was in poor taste.
"It's the epitome of insult," said the Rev. Timothy McDonald, an
organizer of the birthday celebrations. "He's really coming here for
the fund-raiser. The King wreath was an afterthought."
Because of all the tight security, access to a historic black church
near the memorial site will be limited. The church will be the site of
a civil rights symposium, and initially, the Secret Service told
organizers they would have to cut it short. But after discussions and
threats by black leaders to lock themselves in the church, the Secret
Service agreed to keep the church open.
Every president since Ronald Reagan has come to Atlanta, the
birthplace of Dr. King, to lay a wreath at his grave. When President
Clinton came in 1996, he received a standing ovation. But this
presidential visit will be different. It seems to have lifted the lid
on long-simmering anger many blacks feel toward Mr. Bush. Some Bush
policies, including tax cuts mainly benefiting those with higher
incomes and cutting back on welfare-type programs, have alienated
black voters, analysts say.
"Certainly there's a great deal of hostility among African-Americans,"
said William Boone, a professor at Clark Atlanta University. "But this
event is a very symbolic event in the black community." Dr. Boone
added that in the minds of some, Mr. Bush is "trying to co-opt it for
his political benefit."
Dr. King's message is against war and violence. This is the richest
country in the world, and there are homeless people everywhere. It is
sad that $87 billion is going to war. It is very, very sad.
Ghoshu Utsumi
Several civil rights leaders said they felt ambushed by the
president's visit because they did not know about it until Saturday,
when they read about it in the newspaper. The official holiday is
Monday.
"I feel disrespected by the administration and the Secret Service,"
said the Rev. James Orange, a 61-year-old colleague of Dr. King.
Mr. Orange went on: "On Dr. King's birthday last year, his
administration initiated plans to gut affirmative action. Here we are
a year later, and the same person who tried to turn back the clock on
me wants to use Dr. King's birthday because it's an election year."
Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, said that Mr. Bush
had invited himself, but it is often the case that the White House
calls a group and says the president would like to participate in an
event.
"My understanding is that we contacted the King Center and
specifically asked if it would in any way be disruptive if the
president came to honor Dr. King and participate in a wreath-laying
ceremony," Mr. McClellan said. "And the King Center indicated that it
would not."
The King Center is the official guardian of Dr. King's legacy, and a
spokesman at the center said the president's visit was welcome.
"We don't have any problems with this," said the spokesman, Robert
Vickers. He called the security arrangements a "minor inconvenience."
Those on the streets may disagree. This morning, a stream of civil
rights activists marched through Dr. King's old neighborhood, singing
spirituals while Buddhist monks banged on drums.
Ghoshu Utsumi, a monk who regularly visits Dr. King's tomb, said: "Dr.
King's message is against war and violence. This is the richest
country in the world, and there are homeless people everywhere. It is
sad that $87 billion is going to war. It is very, very sad."
© Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

upper class.
E se lo dice lui...
*LOL*
-Strefano