Martin Luther King, Jr. must be turning over in his grave. On the day set aside to celebrate his birthday and honor his accomplishments, dozens of blacks were shot and killed across the country.
Dr. King’s birthday has become a day of service in many communities. But for some in the black community, it’s just another day to shoot and kill each other.
A man was shot and killed in Portland, Oregon, on Monday night. In a bizarre twist of irony, part of Martin Luther King Boulevard was closed by police to investigate the murder.
Five people were injured at an MLK celebration in San Antonia, Texas, Monday evening when a man opened fire into a crowd. Two of the victims are in critical condition.
Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, also saw another murder on Monday. Neighbors who were interviewed expressed their sadness at the violence, especially as they “celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, who worked tirelessly to end violence.”
Violence also spiked in neighboring Baron Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday. Nine people were shot and three of them died in a mass shooting there. In a separate incident on the MLK holiday, two teenagers were shot. The 17-year-old victim died.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) decried gun violence and armed robberies at a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday. The mayor told the crowd it isn’t enough to leave the problem to the police department. “Ordinary citizens have to help in both solving crimes and preventing crimes” she said.
Unfortunately, city officials used the somber occasion to call for voting rights and social justice. Neither of those things will stem the deadly violence, but it makes for good sound bites.
Chicago, ever the bloody city, had its share of violence on Monday. A 29-year-old man walking down the street was shot multiple times when a vehicle pulled up and opened fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend in Chicago, 38 people were shot, five of them fatally.
Also in Chicago, two cars were involved in a driving gun battle on Monday. One man in a car was wounded by shots fired from the other vehicle. Just like old-time gangster Chicago.
At least in Oakland, California, they had the decency to wait until just after midnight to start shooting. Two adults were found at 12:30 am Tuesday morning with gunshot wounds. Both are in critical condition.
Martin Luther King, Jr. called for non-violent means to further civil rights and racial equality. But the sound of gunfire in predominantly black Democrat-run cities drowns out his message. Sadly, this MLK holiday was no different than others in terms of deadly violence in black communities.
Today, more than 50 years after his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s clarion call for peaceful protests and unity is barely a whisper. Are shootings, murders, lootings, and armed robberies now his legacy? Dr. King must be turning over in his grave.
Image from: britannica.com
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