Just learned something shocking about MLK Day in Idaho

[Sapphocrat]

Now, this can't possibly apply to the entire state of Idaho, but it's something that disturbs me greatly, and I want to know if anyone else has run up against this:

As some of you may remember, I have a cousin in Boise who turned born-again in a major way. Not so major that we can't have a civil conversation -- and we do, semi-regularly, with me tryng to ease her into the understanding that the Republicans are not her friends; you'll be pleased to know that she is seriously considering voting against * this time around. So there's some big progress!

Anyway, this is the cousin who put her son (now 13) into one of those seriously cloistered "Christian academies" -- the sort where the kids would take a field trip to the local natural-history museum, after which the teacher would announce to the students that everything they had just heard about dinosaurs was wrong, wrong, wrong, because of course dinosaurs and men existed at the same time, because of course we all know that the earth is no more than 3,000 years old. :eyes:

So, the other day, my cousin and I are talking on the phone about her kid's vacation days from school over the holidays, and how much time he was getting off. She ticked off his schedule: two weeks at Christmas, one day in the first week of January for parent-teacher conferences, another day so the teachers could go to some training session, another one for "Human Rights Day"--

At that, I cut in on her. "'Human Rights Day'?" I ask. "You mean Martin Luther King Day?"

She said yes, she guessed it was, but they call it "Human Rights Day."

I asked if the kids were aware of MLK Day, or of MLK himself, or if they made no connection because MLK's name was effectively excised from his own national holiday, now recognized by all 50 states.

I didn't get an answer.

Has anyone else heard of this sort of thing? Are you are disturbed by this style of "revisionism" as I am? Is there any way to force a private Christian school to refer to a holiday recognizing one of history's greatest civil-rights leaders by its proper name?

[loudnclear]

1. Doesn't surprise me. Histroy is written by the powerful for the powerless

Just think, Native Americans.

[HereSince1628]

45. But aren't those called Laminites in Idaho?

Ahh, Deseret...a living example of why there is a need for separation of church and state.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Human Rights Day is not MLK day according the to the UN

http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/


Dec 10

[West Coast Democrat]

3. I think that's what they call it in Utah also

Human Rights Day

[liberalhistorian]

4. On the one hand, coming

from Idaho it doesn't surprise me at all and I agree that it is, indeed, disturbing. On the other hand, at least it is being recognized in some way, and I'm not so sure King wouldn't have approved at least somewhat, because that's what he wanted the focus to be on, human rights, and not specifically on him.

But this is, after all, Idaho we're talking about, I think there are maybe three African-Americans in the entire state. And, unfortunately, if this were a public school you could do something about it and try to force recognition of MLK day instead of human rights day, but, since it's a private school, nothing can really be done in that respect. It doesn't matter whether it's a Christian school or not, that goes for ANY AND ALL private schools.

[Enraged_Ape]

13. Hi, liberalhistorian,

from a fellow (though former) Idahoan. :hi:

I left Idaho long ago because I just couldn't stomach this type of attitude. I still return for short visits, but I can't bear to open up my hometown newspaper and read the letters to the editor. They are often indistinguishable from those ragged butcher-paper ravings the Aryan Nations used to hand out.

[liberalhistorian]

22. I don't doubt that at all,

but I'm not in Idaho, I'm in Ohio. I've been in Idaho and other western states enough, though, and one of my dad's brothers is a forest ranger there, so I'm more than familiar with the mentality.

[On the Road]

5. Hey, in the Great State of Virginia

I have seen MLK day officially referred to as "Lee-Jackson-King Day".

You guessed it: Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Marting Luther King. Three peas in a pod.
:crazy:

[Sandstorm]

9. Same in Arkansas

The official holiday was "Martin Luther King/Robert E. Lee day."

[renegade000]

16. ahh the southern section of the state

makes the DC suburbs scratch their heads and go: "HUH?" ;)

[Sapphocrat]

21. I'm speechless.

Which is unusual for me.

I just can't wrap my brain around that one!:freak:

[RandomKoolzip]

6. Hmmm...Idaho...canter of John Birchism....Ruby Ridge......

White Aryan Resistance......the place where Hemingway decided to off himself.....Could it be there's some sort of Satanic vortex sucking the goodness out of our country in Idaho?

(Not dissing any Idahoan DUers, but what the fuck, guys...)

[skypilot]

44. Vortex

No, that particular vortex is located in Texas.

(Not dissing any Texan DUers)

[GOPFighter]

7. Once we have school vouchers...

...half the country will put their kids in newly opened "christian" schools so little Zach and Tiffany won't have to learn about dinosaurs, MLK, lynchings, slavery, the labor movement. They will learn that Jesus came to earth to set up the United States as his kingdom on earth and they'll learn that horible liberals tried to steal America from Jesus after he arose into heaven, but that George W. Bush, the 13th desciple was annointed to slay the evil liberals.

(Whooooey! give me a day off from work and see what happens??)

[ComerPerro]

11. you might think you are kidding

but I am sorry. I could easily see that happening.

Why do you think rethugs are such fans of vouchers? They can indoctrinate the youth and "teach" them history from a right wing, Christian perspective.

[GOPFighter]

15. Nope, I wasn't kidding

It's one of my bigger fears about our future.

[coolhand27]

48. Zach and Tiffany?

Are you trying to paint a picture of two little white kids? Just wondering. Maybe you're not. At the private Christian school I attended, things weren't nearly as bad as some on here would imply. Oh, and by the way, Zach was a black kid who now plays in the NFL European league, and Tiffany was a white girl who is now a lesbian. "But, but, private Christian schools don't have any diversity.........":eyes:

[Stuckinthebush]

8. MLK was one of the best example of Christian principles at work

during the last 50 years. To have a "Christian" school denigrate a day set aside with his name in mind, belies the true intent of said "Christian" school.

They have no interest in being "Christian", but more interest in being White Supremest Christians.

These types of institutions and the people who send their children to them give the Christian philosophy a bad name. We really need to find a way to linguistically separate these Christians from the real ones.

[Muddleoftheroad]

10. I agree about Dr. King

But there are those here who would expect his church to lose its tax exempt status for his political activities just as they now target the Catholic Church.

[drdigi420]

37. Churches SHOULD lose their tax-exempt status

religion is a political tool, always has been

churches are political groups, 'faith' is just the con they use to get teh sheep in the door

[Aristus]

12. How about this one: I attend a right-wing fundy church.

Solely because it's my wife's church. I hate it there sometimes, but I love my wife. Last year, around Oct 31st, they had a "Harvest Festival". These people call Halloween a holiday that "celebrates death and evil". I guess they wanted to avoid the 'pagan' overtones of Halloween, so they called it 'Harvest Festival'. Problem with that kind of thinking is, I can't imagine a more pagan term than 'Harvest Festival'. :eyes:

I wonder what they would say if I reminded them that Halloween is a Christian holiday. Probably call me Satan's spawn, or something. Being a liberal Democrat, I'd probably get called that anyway.

I hate sharing my planet with stupid people.

[cmd]

25. At school we had "Fall Parties"

For several years the Fundies has a strong hold on our public elementary. They made the administration do away with anything Halloween. No witches, jack-o-lanterns, costumes, etc.
That lasted for about five years when they decided that they were just going to have to take their kids out of public school all together because they could not convince us to hold bible classes and have organized prayer every day.

I'm sure they would have had fits if they attended the UCC that I belonged to. The UCC had the wildest, most grusome Halloween parties that I ever saw. The kids in church loved it, loved their leaders and loved God as much as any of the Fundies.

The Fundies were horrified when our chuch ran a picture of Santa Claus sitting in one of the pews with the caption "Everyone is welcome at St. John's." I thought it was a stroke of genius.

[Cleita]

14. I'm not surprised considering that

99.9% of Idaho's population is white and votes Republican. I used to live in northern Idaho, but I don't remember any reference to a human rights holiday.

[DrWeird]

17. About that time of year again, lots of MLK threads soon.

Even on DU there are people who have it out for King. Seems like last year, maybe year before, everytime there was an MLK thread there was some racist punk bitch that came out from under their rock to whine about how King cheated on his wife, beat her, was a criminal, not really a doctor, plagiarised his thesis, yada yada yada.

[Muddleoftheroad]

18. Some people can be very jealous

[Sapphocrat]

19. You think that's the result of jealousy, or fear?

Or a combination?

Genuine question -- I'm curious.

[Muddleoftheroad]

23. Probably both

And innate prejudice as well.

[Selwynn]

20. I live in Boise, Idaho

But I don't have any kids, and wasn't aware of this. Where I work, its MLK day, people I encounter refer to it as MLK day. However, nothing you've said would suprise me one bit in this place.

[snippy]

24. How very republican.

[RememberTheCoup]

26. I know I'll get flamed for this...

...but I would have preferred having a holiday called "Human Rights Day" or "Civil Rights Day" or "Equal Rights Day" rather than "Martin Luther King Day" from the start. "Juneteenth" (June 19th, I believe -- the day the last slaves finally gained their freedom) would also have been a better choice than MLK Day. I think it is always better to celebrate principles and ideals, or at least significant historical events rather than focusing on "the cult of personality." There aren't many who could argue against the idea behind a "Civil Rights Day," but we have many people attacking MLK on a regular basis because they are so resentful of having a day devoted to him. And I'm not so sure they are that wrong. Think about it. We used to celebrate Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday. Now we have one day -- President's Day -- in which to honor every president we've ever had: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy... MLK was a great American who accomplished a lot of good things, but did he do more for this country than all those people combined? More than some other important non-presidents like Ben Franklin? Did he do more to promote equality than, say, Susan B. Anthony? Did he take more risks for the sake of ensuring freedom than the people who ran the Underground Railroad? Besides that, it shows a 20th century bias. Americans are bad enough at forgetting anything that happened before WWII. Every time there's a survey of who Americans think the best presidents were, they always name presidents from their own lifetimes disproportionately. And on top of everything else, it just makes things harder for black Americans because people already inclined to be racist and resentful now have the attitude that black America has already "cashed in" its one favor and don't deserve any further special treatment. Flame away...

[DrWeird]

27. Are you kidding?

"did he take more risks...than the people who ran the underground railroad?"

He fucking died for the cause. I'd say you can't take more risk than that.

Did he do more for the country than George Washington and Thomas Jefferson? Considering they were both hypocritical slave owners I'd think King is clearly more deserving of respect.

[Ripley]

28. MLK deserves more respect than our first President?

Wow, talk about going over the top now.

I think the above point is well said about honoring a person by name on a day. Why is MLK more important than anyone else in American history that he deserves a day named after him, and no one else does (except that Christmas thing)?

If you are going to bash our first presidents for their failures, why can't anyone point out the failures of MLK? That is called hypocrisy.

[DrWeird]

29. MLK cheated on his wife.

Washington kept slaves. Despite the fact that he claimed to love liberty and fight for freedom. He was probably more interested in lower taxes than freedom.

[Ripley]

31. You still didn't explain why MLK is the most revered person in US history.

That he deserves a day named after him.

Hey, I have no problem with street names, airport names, hell even towns named after important historical figures. But one day a year...we are to tell our citizens that this one man is the most important? How about Tom Paine or FDR or Neil Armstrong or Margaret Sanger or....there are lots of people who accomplished great things.

[DrWeird]

42. Are you unaware of what MLK did?

If you are than tell me why he shouldn't be the most revered person in US history.

[RememberTheCoup]

43. So if someone asked you to name the most important figure in US history...

...your #1 choice would be MLK, correct? There is not another figure in our nation's entire history who is more important? Not even a single president? I'm curious whom you would name as your 2nd and 3rd choices.

[Ripley]

47. Quite aware. I live relatively near Selma.

Because I don't believe MLK's great work as a civil rights leader is more worthy than the laws signed into action by JFK for one example. And JFK did a lot of good for all Americans, not just one group.

[Rich Hunt]

33. GW was overrated

He wasn't all that bright, and wasn't influential as a thinker or anything. He is more of a symbol than anything else.

[Ripley]

34. While that may be true, are we going to revise history now?

And pretend he was not elected the first President of this country? Or that he was not worthy of being President? I believe this country struggled to form a perfect union, knowing that that concept is probably impossible to reach, but a worthy goal. Maybe Washington shouldn't have been the first president, but he was and that is a fact.

[RememberTheCoup]

30. So, no one involved with the Underground Railroad died?

MLK is not the only person in American history who was ever killed and he is not the only one who ever fought for freedom. What makes him more important in American History than anyone else I named? I'm not knocking him, I'm just saying I don't think he's more important than all those other people I named. But if you disagree, please explain why.

[Ripley]

32. Didn't that guy Lincoln have something to do with emancipation?

I guess he's only good enough for a penny.

[Rich Hunt]

35. It's called 'Presidents' Day'

You know - in February?

[Ripley]

36. Right, not Abraham Lincoln Day.

Get it?

[Rich Hunt]

40. that's because

Americans are too cheap to recognize the birthdays of two presidents in the same month. Isn't it obvious?

:)

[Ripley]

41. But Halmark would just love to have a separate day for every pres.

In fact, I bet Halmark has cards for every day of the year.

Yep, most Americans are cheap, but they are also extremely gullible. (Who buys their kids Christmas-type gifts for Easter?)

[Cleita]

38. How about Columbus Day?

MLK was a martyr to a noble cause, no matter what he did in his personal life. He made a huge difference in gaining the rights African Americans and other minorities enjoy today. Columbus started the rape of a whole himisphere. If any day should be reduced to a euphemism that is the one.

[Selwynn]

46. So it should be Rape of the Western Hemisphere Day :)

[Cleita]

39. Sorry dupe.

eom