Would Mrs. King Have Approved?

As befitted the first lady of the civil rights movement, a host of political and civil rights leaders - including four American Presidents, poets, three plane loads of members of Congress, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and personalities from the entertainment world - filled the hall of mourners at Coretta Scott King's funeral.

Some 40 speakers took their turn at the podium to eulogize Mrs. King, and the words of some veered into the debates over the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, poverty, and government eavesdropping. The critics of the critics have been quick to seize on the appropriateness of some speakers' remarks, many of which directly referred to policies of President Bush, also in attendance.

Would Mrs. King have approved of the critical remarks delivered by President Carter, Rev. Lowery and others at her funeral had she had the chance? Absolutely, I believe.

Mrs. King was Martin's wife. She zealously guarded and nourished his image. But she was more. She was also married and committed to the principles of non violence and social equity. A life-long pacifist, Mrs. King played a pivotal role in the evolution of Martin's growing opposition to the war in Vietnam - always noted as a major point of departure and maturation in Martin's world view. (Remember the critics back then: "the nerve of him to talk about foreign policy.") She demonstrated her commitment to the principles of the elimination of poverty and social justice by marching with the Memphis trash strikers right after her husband's funeral and to a number of other causes throughout the rest of her life.

The issues that occupied the rest of Mrs. King's life still, and sadly, resonate today. Consider the following statistics taken from the latest Census Bureau figures and United Nations report:

More than one in six children now lives in poverty in the U.S.

In 2004, the poverty rate for African-Americans stood at 24.7% , 21.9% for Hispanics, as compared to 8.6% for white America.

Infant mortality rates in the U.S. have been rising for the past five years and now rival Malaysia's.

The United States is the only wealthy country with no universal health insurance system. In terms of life expectancy, the U.S. now ranks 29th in the world.

The United States ranks 17 out of the 18 Organization for Economic cooperation & Development (OECD) countries for the highest level of human and income poverty. The only OECD country the U.S. is ranked ahead of is Italy. Even Ireland ranks higher than the U.S.

As the figures bear out, Mrs. King's work is not done. More to the point, in a world of growing economic integration, the split between the "haves" and "have nots" appears to have widened into what some have described as a "race to the bottom." The relevancy of the issues Mrs. King devoted her life today stand in even starker relief.

Mrs. King was also a pragmatist and humanist. She not only talked the talk but walked the walk. She knew better than most that it is long past time for America to begin anew the dialog and to walk the walk. It's exactly the message that President Bush needed to hear in Atlanta and needs to hear again and again.

And let's not forget, President Lyndon Johnson would have probably heard a similar message - at least about the war- had he attended Rev. Kings's funeral in 1968.