What a @!$%#ing joke ! all the monies spent building this memorial and someone couldn't have proof read it before adding it to the damn thing... Oh I looked up the artist in charge of the quote, after the last crap he did I'm surprised they didn't put 24" dayton rims and put a gold grill on the MLK teeth !!!!

@thinker - your name in and of itself indicates a willingness on your part to be dishonest, but it doesn't explain your jealousy over a man, that despite all his human flaws, still contributed so much more to the human race than you ever will.

This unfortunately is what happens when the government gets involved in anything! $850,000 clams??? Just unconscionable!!!

You could feed a bunch of starving kids on Christmas for that amount of money!!!

no doubt much more than that has been spent on the other monuments in washington but i don't suppose you haters have a problem with that?

i wonder what the cost has been for lady liberty's many makeovers? one could fill many an empty stomach with that payload also.

It was done once and private contributors paid for the entire cost.The Federal Governemnt paid nothing!

I'll do it for $250,000.

hey irene 46 next time read the story..jesus christ .. it was made wrong and now has to be fixed..ALL THE MONUMENT'S WERE BUILT CORRECT THE FIRST TIME AND NEED MAINTENANCE UP KEEP UN LIKE MLK WHICH WAS BUILT BY DONATIONS AND STILL @!$%#ED UP !!!!

next time you complain and start to throw around labels about people that make comments, READ THE STORY AND GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT !!!!

it was made wrong and now has to be fixed..ALL THE MONUMENT'S WERE BUILT CORRECT THE FIRST TIME AND NEED MAINTENANCE UP KEEP UN LIKE MLK WHICH WAS BUILT BY DONATIONS AND STILL @!$%#ED UP !!!! mike2598123 #1.9

something is wrong and it needs to be corrected. some of the work done on lady lib has been purely for cosmetic reasons.

next time you complain and start to throw around labels about people that make comments, READ THE STORY AND GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT !!!!

before you complain about my labels you should read some of these retched comments. labeling them 'hater' is putting it mildly.

If the paraphrase reads:

"I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness",

and if what was really said was, "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness.",

why not just ADD words to the beginning of the paraphrase:

"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that"

This wouldn't be hard to do at all.

A waste of money.

The entire monument is a waste of money. They should have built a monument to George Washington Carver instead. That dude was a real hero.

Whatever the cost, it would be worth it to put his full statement on that monument. It is what America so desperately needs. May we all share in his groaning prayer for the light of truth to shine like this in this nation. God help us to love one another as we return to love You. Every other shallow thing does not matter. Here is his full quote again:

"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

But the full quote is not different in context than the paraphrased one. It says the same thing. Are those who don't like the inscription saying MLK was arrogant? Cuz that came out of his mouth.

Personally I don't want to pay a penny to change it. Looks fine as it is. We have bigger fish to fry and these small things add up.

A plaque with the corrected quote and a little epoxy?

Why would this require anything more?

There is no bigger fish to fry than realizing our need to love God and His ways with all of our heart and to love our neighbor as our self. That is where we are missing it in all of this confusion our nation is in. Martin Luther King got it absolutely right. Life is all shallow and superficial without that as our center.

What the @!$%#??????????? Doesn't the Interior Department know the United States of America is broke and doesn't have the money to do this ridiculous job?

IF the private foundation that built the thing and donated it were to fix it the job would be $5,000~$20,000. But Wash DC federal employees are spending tax money to fix it and they don't even blink at the idea of spending the better part of a million to gouge out some lettering. And so many people wonder why we're broke. They do this on every decision they make. Every little bitty thing gubmint employees work on gets this sort of decision making. It's why we're broke.

Reading the out of context short quote and the longer full quote the idea that one is arrogant and the other not arrogant doesn't hold up for me. I do not see arrogance in either quote. Furthermore, the thing was built and donated from a private money. The Feds accepted it as is, proud to have it and all caught up in the anything MLK any day craze. So live with it. It's not bad. If I owned it I would not spend $700,000 to alter it. IF private money wants to gouge it out, let them. Leave the taxpayers alone.

As more than 95% of the blacks voted for Obama, then whatever MLK wanted to accomplish, didn't happen. Blatant racism, lack of thought and investigation into what the policies and accomplishments of the two candidates, meaningful thought as to which one would better improve the life and future of black Americans and blatant vote gerrymandering.

Since Obummer took office, black unemployment has doubled. The number of black families with one parent has increased 40%. Real take home pay of blacks has decreased in relation to the real take home pay of whites. Blacks still make up more than 70% of the prison population. It goes on and on. Exactly what has Obummer done for his black half? How has he implemented what MLK wanted?

Oh yes he did one thing! He has managed to keep his illegal alien uncle in the U.S.

Readyou.. You can bet the King family won't spend a cent of their money on the fix. Their family was given millions to maintain the King memorial in Atlanta years back and "The Family" went through that money in a couple of years. And none was spent on the memorial. It was in shambles and had to be revived on the taxpayers dollars. That's a family of theives.

At least it wasn't carved for eternity into the sacred land of Native Americans, where only a catastrophic event of nature could erase it....

although, MLK's visage would be more welcome to them than the ones who now occupy it.

It was done once and private contributors paid for the entire cost.The Federal Governemnt paid nothing!

That is a lie... The federal government appropriated millions to the foundation. yes, private money was used as well, but the federal government kicked in millions! Also, the upkeep of the monument now falls under the direction and cost of the National Park Service which is entirely federally funded.

For all of you screaming "hater" which is lame... The King Family approved of the message that was placed on the monument. Not only did they approve but were paid over a $1,000,000 for it. They had the opportunity to approve "I have a Dream!" They chose not to use that phrase which I believed from the beginning was most appropriate to begin with.

No hate here!!! It is just it is time to $#!t or get off the pot on this one. $850,000 is a littel too much money being spent to correct this problem which the King Foundation helped to create. Throw a bronze plaque over it and be done with it for far less money than the artist is quoting here.

Some one above mentioned the Statue of Liberty!!! Well, those projects are bidded out and correct me of I', wrong but Lady Liberty has been around for a hell of a long time in comparison. Why do you need to fix something that was put up last year... Especially when the problem isn't to the stability to the structure or the wear and tear of it.

I am a senior that cannot pay medical bills. How is this helping me or the millions like me? Money is spent in so many useless ways all over this country. Bring it down to macro economics of a family budget. In my financial shape as mentioned I go out and buy a big black Cadillac on credit in honor of MLK and then get an additional loan of another $10k to have it tricked out... what would most of you say about my allocation of resources?

screminmimi

At least it wasn't carved for eternity into the sacred land of Native Americans, where only a catastrophic event of nature could erase it....

although, MLK's visage would be more welcome to them than the ones who now occupy it.

Ahh, STOP the American Indian CRAP! I'm part Cherokee and I thank the Sun God, Moon God, Bird God and Water God everyday that I'm not sitting around a camp fire picking fleas off my naked behind like my ancestors did for FAR TOO LONG!!!! No Native America really wants to live that way today! We like driving Ford Trucks and going to Disney World just like the rest of you!!!

Total cop out spoken from a white European lunatic who can't come to grips with his own heritage with all the violence and advancements in technology they brought to the world!!!

Every culture brought the sword!!! Some just brought a bigger sword!!!!

Harold --- I'll do it for $25,000 (and I know how !)

DAWG POUND -

I'm glad you live a life that makes you happy. Many of the First People don't.

Do you follow the news of how one in three Native American women will be raped this year, and how Cantor is fighting the passage of a bill that will help the Tribal Police in their efforts to arrest and prosecute the non-Natives who prowl the reservations for prey, knowing that by the time the Feds take over the cases they will be pled down to a misdemeanor with no jail time?

And what is all this anger you have? I don't live on the rez either... but I'm not angry or ashamed of what I am.

Forget theMLK memorial for a moment. All of you complaining about the NAthional Park Service paying for this memorials upkeep. I can solve your problem - shut down all the memorial, shut down all the National Parks, Padlock them all, reduce the PArk service budget down to staffing for security gurads to keep everyone out. That would go a little to reducing the deficit - the park service budget is 3.1 billion ot of a total US budget of 3.5 trillion (comes up to way less than 1%).

Just another case to make taxpayers blood boil. The Interior Department estimates this will cost $700,000 - $900,000. No one else see a problem here? They don't even know how much it will cost. This is the same department that spent millions of dollars to "fix up" the tidal pool and did not think about algea. Nope. When you work in government you don't have to be smart nor frugal. So here we have an example of our money being spent without first putting this job out on bid. Some fat cat in the Interior Department just tells the original sculptor to do the job and we will pay somewhere between $700,00 and $900,000 or more if that is what the bill turns out to be.

Hint 1. Go to Home Depot and buy some motor and some color mixing dye and blend some motor that color matches the stome and fill the letters for about $100.

Hint 2 Design and place a molding over the letters made out of similar stone, Cost - about $5,000.

I am really getting tired of the waste from idiots in government spending someone elses money carelessly and then hearing from these bozo's there is no where we can cut spending so we have to turn our kids into indentured servants of the state.

Heads should roll in the Interior Department and in the Energy Department for the wasteful spending in both departments. In fact, I am in favor of just getting rid of both departments. I am sick of it. It is way past time to just Fire Them All. Every time a Congressman comes up for re-election, vote for the other guy. Never re-elect anyone, including state and local bozo's as well.

I worry that just by adding some more lines of text, that the structural integrity will be compromised.

What's this thing made out of, Cheezits?

Thinker, your inner racism is showing.... I guess when your ignorant, saying ignorant @!$%# comes naturally huh? MLK did more to help this country move forward than anybody YOU idolize... YOU should THINK before you sit down at the keyboard because it is obvious that you have no sense of decency or respect

And Glen is it not "motor" it is "mortar"... We are not driving a car here, we are trying to correct a mistake that takes the words of a Great man out of context.

While I understand the outrage over the cost ($700,000 to $900,000?, way 2 narrow it down Feds) I don't C the outrage over the quote itself.

"Reading the out of context short quote and the longer full quote the idea that one is arrogant and the other not arrogant doesn't hold up for me. I do not see arrogance in either quote."

I don't get it either, IReadyou.

Maybe I WOULD get it..........if I were a racist.

Maybe it would cost less to move that piece of crap to the Jersey shore and use it as a boat mooring ???

I find the paraphrase acceptable. "I have a dream" would have been my choice; we'll leave that alone.

The MLK Memorial is fine as it is.

Dog Pound. I hope you are a real native American. I like what you wrote. It makes sense. Thank you. But if you are a white trying to disguise yourself, shame on you ! Oh, the shame !

$700K to $900k to fix this!?!? WTF!!! All b/c someone doesn't like it or feel that it implies what they wanted?? NO NO NO!!! There is nothing wrong with this memorial, or the wording, or anything that warrants the American taxpayer to be spending this type of money on something like this for this memorial. Let alone the fact that $700k to $900k to fix this is total BS! The memorial and design was reviewed and passed by all parties who were important and needed to give their input.

MLK did some great things and clearly left a mark and changed the course of our countries history, so IMO no doubt he deserves a memorial and glad he has one, but waste, yes waste, taxpayer money on an unneeded fix for something that is nothing more than a groups opinion is not an option. In fact I would imagine Dr. King would be rather embarrassed by something like this taking place. Sheer stupidity here folks. Now if a private group wants to raise the funds fine, but there should be no fix on the TP's dime here. Like others said LEAVE IT, or put a plaque over it, put a small plaque below on a post with the whole speech, or add the other words, or fill it in which could be done to. Again this is nuts if this goes thru. IMO why they choose that line seems a little off since he is more famous for I have a dream, and I agree about the structural integrity remark, total BS there, it would handle the work and if not then don't expect this to be around very long.

Again, just another reason we have so many problems in this country and are going broke, pissing away money for a fix that should never cost that much and for a fix that doesn't even need to happen.

Come on America we can do better.

It is time

U know, Gene Roddenberry had a similar dream...............

There should be statue honoring Polly Cooper on that mall. In fact, it's rather disgraceful that in all of Washington, there is not one.

I don't understand why so many people get bent out of shape over something like the wording of a paraphrase on a monument when there are so many more pressing issues (at least in my mind) like hungry, suffering people; people still recovering from Hurricane Sandy; the looming Fiscal Cliff; and foreign policy issues that will no doubt affect our nation in the months to come. It's not that I don't think the monument itself is important, it's that I'm not sure how important it is to get the paraphrase in such a way that EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the country is satisfied. We can't even agree on politics or the budget-how could we ever agree on a monument? Heck, we can't even agree on WHO should HAVE a monument!

I can't imagine the Christian man for whom this thing was made would CARE what it said. I think he'd be more concerned with how others lived than what they wanted put on a statue.

But the full quote is not different in context than the paraphrased one. It says the same thing. Are those who don't like the inscription saying MLK was arrogant? Cuz that came out of his mouth. pullmyfinger13 #1.15

it's absolutely different. dr king was making a request that 'if' people want to refer to him as a drum major. not making an affirmation that he 'was' a drum major.

"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

leaving out "if you want to say" eliminates the humility that dr king was, no doubt, purposely expressing. it he wanted to flat out make the statement 'i am a drum major' he would have done so.

paraphrasing doesn't change the meaning of a statement. taking things out of context many times does.

As more than 95% of the blacks voted for Obama, then whatever MLK wanted to accomplish, didn't happen. Blatant racism, lack of thought and investigation into what the policies and accomplishments of the two candidates, meaningful thought as to which one would better improve the life and future of black Americans and blatant vote gerrymandering. todayopinion #1.21

wrong. president obama got 95% of the black vote while running against a party full of nut jobs. clinton got 93% of the black vote without the nut job handicap. blacks vote for the party that serves their best interest as did all the other minorities.

romney got 71% of the white vote. some of whom are not wealthy but would vote for the protector of the rich rather than vote for a black man.

Re screminmimi and Dawg Pound, for what it's worth, I think you both have the right to your views-just as we all have the right to view our ancestries the way we choose. My sister-in-law is approximately one quarter Native American, and she does not choose to focus on her Native American ancestry at all-that is her choice. I can also easily see why one might feel a special kinship with one's people who were being treated unfairly and a desire to see justice brought to them. My ancestry is not pure enough for me to know all of it, though a large number of people groups in the area where most of it originated have been conquered and oppressed in the past. I am not saying that what happened to my ancestors is equal in any way to what happened to yours, I'm not trying to minimize what was done to the Native Americans, nor am I trying to excuse what was done in North and South America-and I fully acknowledge your particularly unfair treatment.

It's interesting that you would give the statistics on Native American women being raped, screminmimi. Unfortunately, I don't doubt your numbers. It is certainly true that things like this should change, that non-native perpetrators should absolutely be forced to pay for their crimes. However, this sort of thing is a problem for all women, if to a lesser degree. Some say that 1 in 4 of ALL women will be sexually abused. Though I am not Native American I was raped by my father at age 10 then he gave me to his friends. That wasn't even the beginning of the abuse, nor was it the end-it continued for years after that. Not one of my abusers ever saw a hint of justice and the surviving members of my family don't believe me to this day-in fact, they have been very cruel and have called me a liar for saying that I was abused even though I have outside corroboration of some of it. My way of dealing with the unfairness has been to take what is mine and to let go of the rest-also forgiving those who have hurt me, not even so much for their sake as for mine, so that I can have peace. When I release all of that and I'm not looking for payback or revenge-I'll never get it anyway-it really takes a load off of me. Now I have freedom to move forward and not always to live in the past-I can leave the unfairness behind and make the future what I will. I've really experienced a lot of healing this way.

I care about Native Americans and I care about all other peoples as well. I guess since my ancestry is more mixed I don't feel as strong an identity to a particular people group. It's more like I have a soft spot for those who have been oppressed and abused in some way. Sorry to everyone for being somewhat off-topic.

Since Obummer took office, black unemployment has doubled. The number of black families with one parent has increased 40%. Real take home pay of blacks has decreased in relation to the real take home pay of whites. Blacks still make up more than 70% of the prison population. It goes on and on. Exactly what has Obummer done for his black half? todayopinion #1.21

where you got the 40% increase in one parent homes is a mystery. i watch a lot of news shows and even fox 'noise' hasn't made such a claim. the black community has always gotten the worst of economic downfall. as the saying goes, "if america catches cold, the black community catches pneumonia."

Exactly what has Obummer done for his black half? How has he implemented what MLK wanted?

to, you've got to be joking or talking out of your...um ear. if president obama had made the slightest attempt at addressing a single bill that would be of benefit solely to the black community, you and the rest of the obama haters (including the gop) would storm the white house with pitch forks and torches screaming what a bigoted racists he is. some have already made that asinine allegation.

he's attempting to institute policies beneficial to all that need help. not just blacks. that's exactly what dr king wanted.

Since Obummer took office, black unemployment has doubled

Not true, 2008...10.1% June 2012....14.4%

Not good, but not doubled.

Dawg, interesting point here just so you know, most that claim Indian ancestry claim to be either Sioux or Cherokee! So my question to you is are you an enrolled member of the Cherokee or just claiming to be? Establishing descendancy is very easily documented, and in this day in age of computers done within minutes!!

My enrollment number is Blackfeet #U19283......................what's yours?

Other than that I fail to see a problem with leaving the monument just the way it is! We have many monuments that have qoutes and phrases taken out of context...........................

irene46 Before you open your mouth and prove that you can't or won't do research to discredit or prove a point that has been stated, learn to do research at government statistics sites.

I was astounded when I read that under Obummer, black unemployment doubled since 2008. I also saw the statistic that one parent black families went up by 40%. It was also revealed that real take home black income plummeted and that over 70% of the prison population is black. It was also revealed that blacks choose they own race 80% of the time to inflict their crimes, their murders and abuse.

That is enough to say the whatever vision that MLK had so many years ago, has not been implemented.

Are you familiar with the term overcompensation? FDR had polio and was not able to walk, but he did swim daily and built up his upper torso muscles to such a degree that he could use his arms to pull him through the water without the aide of his legs.

I have suggested many times that this example be used by blacks, their leaders and the black community to haul themselves up to be superior to whites. Behave in such a manner, that the rest of the U.S. population look up to blacks and to emulate them, rather then to see such terrible U.S. government statistics constantly being published.

Of course blacks played lip service to MLK and since his famous speech, the exact opposite of what he wanted has happened.

Please explain to me why the Japanese, Chinese and Mormon communities shine brightly in their contributions to the U.S. and the blacks have such a terrible track record? You are not going to say that by any means that they are mentally inferior to the rest of the U.S. population are you?

rock,paper,scissors I should have clarified that black "MALE" unemployment has doubled under Obummer.

That figure you stated was for women and men.

This I just found. Again I ask you what has Obummer done for his black half?

"With Black net median asset wealth at its lowest level in 25 years the Obama campaign needs something dramatic."

You can review more at this site: /www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/08/16/the-black-unemployment-litmus-test-obama-needs-a-growth-message-or-hillary-clinton/. Remember to put in http:// as nbc will not allow web sites to be posted.

Any way you slice it Obummer has beena detriment to his black and white halves.

The black vote for Clinton was 83% of the vote in 1992 not 92%.

Anytime I see a ridiculous swing in votes for one candidate, I believe I am seeing a communistic country vote count or a Latin/South American vote count.

It is ridiculous to see such a voting result based on race or blind march to the sea like lemmings.

Seeing the black plight increase under Obummer, still the blacks voted for him when there was a clear choice for a change and mighty improvement just around the corner. You all forget that to counter Romney's overwhelming experience in business and success in turning around Massachusetts huge deficit and unemployment situation, that Obama said he was going to establish a cabinet position titled "ECONOMICS". Without a doubt Obummer does not know anything about businesses, economics or how a free world economic system works.

In business a company has to be competitive. Obummer knows nothing about that and with all the regulations, new laws, added taxes, such as health care, etc., he is forcing the U.S. companies to become uncompetitive in the world market place and cheapening the products that are being imported while lowering the real take home pay that employees are obtaining, so such a degree that even if the average man wants to buy expensive U.S. products, in order to survive he is obligated to buy cheap imports. Remember that Germany with 1/3 the population exports 4 times what the U.S. exports. Obummer refuses to see the rest of the world and work out a formula for the U.S. to compete.

He wants to play a demagogue but doesn't have the tools.

The black vote for Clinton was 83% of the vote in 1992 not 92%. todayopinion #1.50

i concede i was wrong about clinton getting 93%. however, gore received 90-92% of the black vote (depending on where you check). kerry received 88%. these numbers indicate that african americans primarily vote democrat even when they're not voting against a party that blatantly perceives them as lazy useless leeches, sucking the life's blood from the economy. that not only cost black votes but votes of all other minorities especially hispanics who were referred to as "illegal aliens".

black republican candidates are unable to attract african american voters because they are seen as bedfellows of those carrying water for the wealthy. so you can stop the "blacks only voted for president obama because of his skin color" bs.

Seeing the black plight increase under Obummer, still the blacks voted for him when there was a clear choice for a change and mighty improvement just around the corner. todayopinion #1.50

romney was not trusted to do anything more than improve the already luxurious lifestyles of the rich.

to, what part of when the economy suffers the african american community always gets the worst of it didn't you grasp? the economy nearly fell into a depression so it's not at all a surprise to african americans, as you think it should be, that african americans would be hardest hit.

In business a company has to be competitive.

the idea of businesses becoming competitive with the global market is paying employees lower salaries with little or no benefits as in other countries. that's the very reason that companies that haven't outsourced (to contractors or overseas) have held wages stagnant for decades. this has been happening long before president obama.

Obummer refuses to see the rest of the world and work out a formula for the U.S. to compete.

president obama actually sees how the employees in the rest of the world are treated. many countries have little or no middle class. which is exactly the road the u s has been traveling.

Someday the American dollar will be worth as much as the Italian Lira or greek Drachma.

Sounds like the slaves are complaining about the collar they willingly put around their neck

oneman...please explain to me what the hell President Obama has to do with this?

wolfhound...WHAT?

leftrightcenter...oh yeah, man. I know what you mean...those slaves couldn't wait to get that collar round their neck. But just for grins...where do you get your information on what slaves wanted, or did not want? Really? Come on...you haven't a clue.

dnon46 As if you didn't know! The president of the U.S. is responsible for everything the government he runs does. In this case he wants huge tax increases yet goes along with an expense of at least $700,000. There are 45 letters on the inscription. Obama, who has the obligation to take care of the dire economic situation that the U.S. finds itself in, is allowing over $15,000 per letter to be misspent to remove that inscription.

You forget Harry Truman and the plaque on his desk? "THE BUCK STOPS HERE!"

So... if the president of the United States is responsible for everything the government he runs does then where are those WMDs Hussein hid in Iraq, why did Bush add five trillion dollars to the national debt for two wars he never paid for, and how is it that we're not prosecuting the whole Bush Administration for both the war crimes committed during those two wars AND for collasping the economy with HIS Great Recession?

BTW, the Federal Reserve prints money, chief. That's a private bank, not part of the government. Read a book from time to time, bub.

Ridiculous . In 5 years they will want to change it again. This statue has been another nightmare. You could write a book on the drama associated with this stone.

i disagree. it sounds as though he's proclaiming himself to be a drum major rather than suggesting he be referred to as such.

What if they just took off the "I was", and made it "... A drum major for Justice Peace and Righteousness." I feel like that's a good statement to have on the monument, even if it's not the actual quote.

I was thinking of the Drum Major from FAMU who got beat to death by his friends and buddies in the band during some kind of whacko hazing thing. FAMU is a famous Black University. Some band members in the University band were not students. Some had graduated years ago, or stopped registering for classes years ago. Some were never students at that University. Heck of a band though ! Band hazing at this school has injured several over the recent years. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has put the University on probation citing the hazing death and a hand full of other mismanagement deeds at FAMU over recent years. They have one year to fix themselves or risk losing accreditation as a U. While reading the article I thought maybe the MLK family or the Foundation wishes to get the drum major thing off the monument and maybe it doesn't have anything to do with perceived arrogance of the comment. Anmd if they can get the fed employees to volunteer taxpayer's money to fix it, why, that is all so much better. Co-incidence ?

You are thinking ! You are not welcome in DC. You cannot be a career bureaucrat. You don't understand.

Dr. King was a Christian who believed in freedom and liberty. That "man" in the whitehouse embraces neither.

dr king was on the side of the poor and downtrodden. president obama expresses the same characteristics.

Hey, Rob... You do have evidence to support your contention, don't you? Not the flagrantly false propaganda pablum for those unable to think for themselves that Fox spews, but real, valid, hard evidence that proves what you say? You do realize that more Constitutional freedoms were impinged upon by the Bush administration than any other president, don't you?

What's that you say?

Blame everything on Bush?

Why, no... there's actual evidence. While I doubt that you are able to dispassionately process the information, and are incapable of intellectually grasping it, I'm going to present it for you anyway.

Ever read the so-called Patriot Act? Gee, it gave sweeping power to the government to spy on Americans, to suspend civil liberties, and to pry into the private lives of the average citizen far beyond anything in the history of this nation. And anyone that stood up to say, "wait a minute! there's a problem with this!" was labeled as anti-American, unpatriotic, weak, and treasonous.

You really ought to get out of that "let Fox lead them" mentality, and learn to think critically for yourself. Stop falling for the propaganda put out by the right-wingers. They have their own agenda, and your benefit isn't part of it. You don't make enough money to be one of them.

Here's some food for thought for you, if you're capable of understanding any of it:

Fourteen points to consider:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism -

Certain political groups tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays. To oppose the political power that utilizes these symbols is to be labeled subversive, unpatriotic, and treasonous. Did you watch any of the Republican National Convention in Tampa this year?

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights -

Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc. Dubya Shrub's RepubliCON Texas speeded up the process by which executions take place, and all of the right-wing cheerleaders jumped for joy.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause -

The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc. Sounds a lot like Boehner and McCain, doesn't it?

4. Supremacy of the Military

Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda i s neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. Speaks for itself.

5. Rampant Sexism -

Governments consisting of certain political groups tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under these types of governments, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy to strip the civil rights of homosexuals. Reproductive choice, female pay-equality, women's rights, and other issues important to women are frequently opposed, such as abortion in the case of rape or incest. Only one woman in the RepubliCON caucus holding a chair of a committee, and then only after it was pointed out that they were all rich, old, white men. Look at the leadership in Congress, and it looks like a banker's convention.

6. Controlled Mass Media

Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common. Media outlets controlled by these certain groups are often misleading in their publications or broadcasts, with a slant that is intentionally designed to propagandize and manipulate the population. Lush Rimbaugh, Glen Beck, Liddy, all of Fox... need I go on?

7. Obsession with National Security -

Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses. "If you oppose this, you are committing treason, and inviting terrorists from all over the world to strike at a weakened America!" - George W. Bush speaking on behalf of the Patriot Act.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined -

Governments in nations led by these certain ideologies tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions. The Greed Only Party painting itself as religious, moral, family value oriented, and the only party that puts God first. The Baptist and Fundamentalist churches in this country are full of RepubliCONs...

9. Corporate Power is Protected -

The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. Taxes for corporations are frequently reduced or in some cases eliminated, and corporations are often granted rights that individual citizens were intended to enjoy. In other cases, the right of Eminent Domain is abused, disguised as being intended for the "public good" Bain. That should say it all. If it doesn't, here's two more words for you: Citizens United.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed -

Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed. Wisconsin, Michigan, all of the Southern Red States being "Right to Work" (which means they can fire you for no reason, and you have no recourse)... Hmmm... I'm seeing a pattern here.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts -

Nations dominated by certain political ideologies tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts. The National Endowment for the Arts and National Arts Council have suffered the biggest budget cuts in their collective histories under RepubliCON administrations, and are practically at the top of the list of Boehner and Ryan's "let's stick it to the poor folks" budget agenda. Do you even know what they want to cut?

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment -

Under the leadership of certain political ideologies, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in these nations. Hmmm... There's that pesky Patriot Act again. Department of Homeland Security anyone?

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption -

Certain political ideologies that are in power, almost always consist of groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders. Well, this one ought to be obvious. If not, two more words for you: Grover Norquist.

14. Fraudulent Elections -

Sometimes elections are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even media assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Certain political ideologies also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections. Florida, 2004. Ohio, 2000. The four manufacturers of "electronic voting machines" were all huge contributors to Bush, McCain and Romney over the last three presidential election cycles. If that doesn't scare you, then you need to move to another country.

Any of this sound familiar?

The Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, College Edition, defines fascism as :

"a system of government characterized by rigid one-party dictatorship, forcible suppression of the opposition (unions, other, especially leftist, parties, minority groups, etc), the retention of private ownership of the means of production under centralized governmental control, belligerent nationalism, sexism, and racism, the glorification and perpetuation of war, etc."

How can you claim to love America, when you clearly hate the average American?

Why do they need to totally remove the quote? Just add above the quote, "If you want to say I was a drum major, say... the rest is already there. Think... no need to remove it totally. Wasting between $700-900,000.00 is non-sense.

The Evil - I would really like to "Like" your post but my belief that we are devolving into a name calling, abusive, intolerant of others society prevents me. WHile your agrguements make lots of sense the minute you started in on terms like RepubiCON, Lush Rimbaugh, etc, you lost your credibitlity and your audience.

I suspect you like me were horrified when Gabby Giffors was shot, you like me were probably quick to point out the hateful speach coming from the right. Since then I have thought long and hard and make every effort to avoid any speach/comments that continue the devolution of our discourse. ANd I will also be quick to admit that I am far from successful - I have used both SHrub abd Dubya, but I try and use facts and data first.

Evil tessmacher...

I am with on all but 13. I have a brother who works for the UN. Much to my dismay (and his-we are both dems) He says that Obama is the worst when it comes to handing out US jobs in the UN. He is doling out jobs to completely unqualified people and the general concensus is that he doesn't think much of th UN.

i agree that would have been a better choice.

Lei, the original sculptor, will do perform the stone work to remove the inscription,

I think it's just as well not to put another inscription on it. It would have something else wrong, like this sentence from the article, or they'd misspell his name, or something else. Proof-reading is a lost art.

all your statue are belong to us

i've loved the drum major speech since i heard it played at his funeral.

Because they have no brains?

I nominate no more filbert as Poster of the Day!

Can I get a witness?

true,the government does'nt care because they are not the ones that work for it.They are the ones that get to spend it.If they need more they will raise taxes to get more.

The fool thing cost $120 Million to begin with, you would think for that cost they'd get their quotes right. Now it's going to cost another ridiculous amount to 'fix' it because people complained.

Yes Dr. King, your monument has "MADE IN CHINA" on the reverse side. Aren't you so proud??

"The fool thing?" How many monuments are there in DC? What's the purpose of Mt. Rushmore?

oh, and there are not white men in prison. all of this indignation and claims of individuals unjustly playing the race card should just take a peek at this post. it's full of bigots they're in denial about.

You dipsticks should research before speaking.... The statue and land was paid for by Dr. King's Fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha... Roughly 105 Million.... The foundation not taxpayers will pay for the cost of repairs.... Jackwads just babbling dumb stuff and no nothing at all

JJ should learn to spell.

You're right JJ, stuoid is as stupid does...

I don't know Kiki, you may be right but everything in the article suggests that the Interior Department is going to pay for the modification. It also doesn't say anything about a fraternity but rather "The King family, the group that built the memorial and the National Park Service also were consulted about the change, the department added." Of course the article doesn't come right out and say exactly who is going to pay for it, and thats all most of us have to go on. Maybe the dipstick here is the author of the article who clearly does not possess your impressive research skills or insider's firsthand knowledge. But at least some Jackwads know that know is spelled "know", not "no".

Simple slip Joygrinder.... 250K should be paid for you for correcting me!!!!!

Yes it is.Completely! You don't have to be black,poor or without an education to understand the purity of his message!Simple,pure but with complete dedication to his principles!

Afternoon, StrangeBlood.

Some people understand his message.

Other R just racists & don't want 2.

Sad, I know.

We all make mistakes,Louisiana! Come from Lake Charles.Love to have some boudin right now but they don't sell it in California

Great guy?

I can say that most of the time government almost always picks the highest bidder....

And you know this how, exactly? Stupid remark.

Because I have worked for the government and seen the procurement procedures.

Sorry, but the statue of Dr King makes him look "pi$$ed off"... his arms crossed, eyes glaring.... nothing like the man I know Dr King to be.....

Whoever designed the monument is the true RACIST here.... he did not capture the powerful, yet gentle, forceful, and still meek, a leader that LEAD by example, not by mandates & demands.....

Dr King said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

He also stated, "But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."

Today we are far too eager to remember the "dream" while ignoring the "process"

BB, You really ask a question that speaks to the motivation of some people here. I personally feel there is a feeling of inadequacy for most of them. It seem that most of the "corrections" come from people that do not agree with the idea of your post and can only respond by attacking the person, not by responding to the idea.

Kai

Where did you come up with that?? Several private foundations, the Walt Disney Corporation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others financed this, as far as I know, no mention of Communist China, at all, nada, zilch.

Seriously.

Kai

I have have further investigated, as you suggested, and you are correct. It was made in China. My mistake.

Apologies.

The monument was carved in China to save money, but China did not pay for any of the costs associated with its manufacture or setting.