"Americans just can't be told the truth it seems

[varelse]

it has to be altered to be more palatable for our tender eyes and ears" (my dad's words)

A Stone-Faced Lie on the Mall

King was never happy with America, so why are the feds forcing him to smile now?

The night before he was assassinated in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously roared that he had "been to the mountaintop" and he had "seen the promised land" of freedom, justice, and equality.

That spirit in the final phase of King's life has been captured brilliantly by Chinese sculptor, Lei Yixin, who was commissioned to design the centerpiece for King's memorial on the National Mall in Washington. In his models for the statue, Lei captures King as a man firmly rooted in the inalienable rights of humanity, his arms folded, looking intensely for us to take hold of the tools he left us to climb to freedom's mountaintop.

My dad sent me the link, and it was too good not to share here.

[kimmylavin]

1. "Too confrontational"?

Damn right, he was confrontational.
And thank goodness.

I think this "softening" would be nothing but an insult to the memory of Dr. King.

(BTW, I've donated several times to this project, and I liked it just the way it was...)

[varelse]

3. How can I donate?

If it's not too late, I'd like to donate also - the donation would include a request to keep the original version (and vision) of course.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. Stephen Colbert called it...

...the Santa Clausification" (a word coined by Cornel West, I believe).

The Colbert Report showed a jolly "Martin Luther King" figurine to illustrate this.

[Benhurst]

2. Thanks, varelse.

Recommended :kick: #1

[tbyg52]

4. K&R for Dr. King + reality. nt

[PDJane]

5. Too confrontational?

It's time to stop sanitzing the history of the US, and trying to make crusaders into benevolent fathers is part of that effort.

That's just positively insane.

[Indenturedebtor]

6. They don't want anyone getting any ideas.

Work. Consume. Obey.

[Benhurst]

7. What's really sad about this is that -- surprise! surprise! - the sculptor

came up with what is a very moving and powerful representation of Dr. King, rare in such government projects. I would rank this right up there with the Vietnam Memorial, which itself drew great outrage when it was first selected.