stephanie
01-12-2008, 02:22 AM
By LAURA GREEN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 12, 2008
In 1963, 21-year-old graduate student Vicki Ryder flew across the country to hear the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his now-famous I Have a Dream speech in Washington.
When King was gunned down almost five years later, Ryder said, she was working in Georgia, registering blacks to vote. The civil rights leader had such an effect on her that when her first son was born months later, she took "Mar" from Martin and "K" from King and named her baby boy Joshua Mark.
Now, 39 years later, as Lake Worth prepares to celebrate King Day later this month, Ryder is protesting the annual candlelight march to honor her hero's memory.
A contingent of uniformed high school students carrying decommissioned military weapons will be leading the Jan. 21 procession - a mockery of King's message of peace, local peace activities say.
"It's not a day to glorify war," said Ryder, founder of the local Raging Grannies group. "It's a day to reflect on peace."
Lake Worth High School's ROTC color guard has led the candlelight vigil for years.
Event planner and Vice Mayor Retha Lowe is not a supporter of the Iraq war.
"We need to come together to bring our boys and girls home," she said.
But she also can't fathom any affront to King by inviting teenagers carrying weapons filled with lead to present the American flag.
"These are non-violent kids. They are out there trying to protect our flag," Lowe said.
read the rest..
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/01/12/s1c_skparade_0112.html
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 12, 2008
In 1963, 21-year-old graduate student Vicki Ryder flew across the country to hear the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his now-famous I Have a Dream speech in Washington.
When King was gunned down almost five years later, Ryder said, she was working in Georgia, registering blacks to vote. The civil rights leader had such an effect on her that when her first son was born months later, she took "Mar" from Martin and "K" from King and named her baby boy Joshua Mark.
Now, 39 years later, as Lake Worth prepares to celebrate King Day later this month, Ryder is protesting the annual candlelight march to honor her hero's memory.
A contingent of uniformed high school students carrying decommissioned military weapons will be leading the Jan. 21 procession - a mockery of King's message of peace, local peace activities say.
"It's not a day to glorify war," said Ryder, founder of the local Raging Grannies group. "It's a day to reflect on peace."
Lake Worth High School's ROTC color guard has led the candlelight vigil for years.
Event planner and Vice Mayor Retha Lowe is not a supporter of the Iraq war.
"We need to come together to bring our boys and girls home," she said.
But she also can't fathom any affront to King by inviting teenagers carrying weapons filled with lead to present the American flag.
"These are non-violent kids. They are out there trying to protect our flag," Lowe said.
read the rest..
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/01/12/s1c_skparade_0112.html