Reflections on the Anniversary of Dr. MLK Jr.'s assassination

Marching through Detroit, 1963. Photo from http://voiceofdetroit.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dr_-Martin-Luther-King-Jr_-leading-freedom-march-in-Detroit-1963-smaller.jpg

Then, and Now…

Today marks the 46th year of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, April 4^th, 1968.  Many events have transpired since that bullet rang out just a short time ago that requires an analysis of our current situation.  Where does one start to understand the roots of the current crisis unless we compare and contrast what was then and what is now.

The attempts on Dr. King’s life are chronicled.  His pursuit of equal access throughout the South was highlighted by his relentless fight to stop the violence against Blacks in communities, on the farms, in schools, at work, and in all phases of everyday life.  In the grip of the Vietnam War, the country was torn by so many events, many of them aired on nightly national television.  Our existences were filled with bombings, attack dogs, demonstrations, and terrible violence with no end in sight.  Were those the “good old days”?

As we pause to remember the significance of this day, the new world reality has shaken us to our core.  President George W. Bush, V.P. Dick Cheney, and the Koch Brothers tricked the country into a war that was based on an absolute lie.  The World Trade Center bombings were attributed to Iraq and their allies, and after several months, said intelligence was proven to be untrue.  The impact of such an outrageous series of events that touched the lives of countless Iraqis and Americans injured or killed because of this gross un-truth has been mostly excluded from the pages of history…but it happened.

So, over a 46 year span of time, our consciousness includes both ends of this spectrum.  Dr. King was murdered because he wanted peace, freedom and equality for all.  On April 4, 2014, we still can’t find peace, freedom for all is questionable, and we are still reeling from the abuse of the 1% who will not tolerate economic equality.  How is corporate America working out for us, these days?  Miss you, Dr. King.

Maureen D. Taylor

State Chairperson – MI Welfare Rights Org.

Why We March June 2012: Trickle Down Theories Don't Work

The foundation on which society rests has changed forever.

You do the math.  President Bush and others concocted a deal that awarded $900 billion dollars to Wall Street, to hedge fund operators, and to lending institutions because they were "too big to fail."  This was supposed to jump-start the economy again as these mega-companies were going to take our tax dollars, and "trickle down" our money to us in the form of loans and jobs. We are still waiting. At that time there were 5.1 million people receiving unemployment benefits.

You do the math.  Give each person on unemployment $50,000 with conditions. You must deposit this sum in one of these identified banks, not in 24 hr-check-cashing spots. No taxes would be paid from this amount, and the family would immediately stop receiving State unemployment benefits.  This check would cover one year.

Another condition would be that the check must be negotiated within 30 days or it reverts back to the Treasury Dept.  The American worker would have jump-started the economy over night by making  "mom and pop" expenditures...cars, house payments, clothes, healthcare, restaurants, dry cleaners, beautyshops, vacations, etc. Many of us would have found jobs with spending up, and we would have been in even better shape. You secure a job, you keep that $50,000 so you can keep going and keep the economy going.

The following year, those same families would receive a check for $35,000 each with the same conditions but taxes would be paid from total annual incomes.  In the third year, that same group would receive $15,000 each -- with the tax clause included. In total, some 5,100,000 individuals with families that might add up to more than 20,000,000 people would receive $510B over three years which is what should have happened.

A handful of greedy corporate dogs shared $900B of our money but nothing trickled down. Our way would trickle up and over a grateful nation as we would have created conditions of survival and people could see a way to thrive and keep going and growing the country!

The ASSEMBLY TO END POVERTY is calling for a Workers March on Washington, June 30th, 2012.  We March on D.C. because we want to eliminate poverty and not the poor.  We can and we will do this great thing.  Get involved - (313) 964-0618. endpoverty2012@gmail.com.  You have 331 days left.  

Image from Zaius Nation, through Creative Commons share.