Suspect arrested in connection with MLK parade bomb plot

This is a story you should follow, not least of all because amidst all the brew-ha-ha about Rep. Peter King’s radical Islam hearings, people seem to be overlooking a near-miss attempt at domestic terrorism of a chilling sort. Last January, a backpack was left at a bus stop alongside an MLK Day parade route, inside which was a bomb. And not just any bomb; it was packed with shrapnel designed to ricochet out towards the expected crowd, and would have caused massive casualties. The FBI has now announced the first arrest associated with this case, though the suspect’s identity has not yet been released. The Seattle Times reports that the person may have ties to white supremacist groups – which matches earlier speculation that Aryan Nations, which makes its home in the region, may have been involved in the attack. source

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

People are clear in what Dr. King’s dream was about, and we will not react to those who try to distort that dream.
The Rev. Al Sharpton • Speaking at an event in honor of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech today. The event, which was held at a D.C. high school instead of the National Mall (Glenn Beck’s peeps got that spot) worked as a giant reaction to the Beck event, rather than an event of its own merit. Which is to say that they kept bringing up the Beck event in various ways. “When I look at my television, I don’t see the King crowd of blacks and whites together,” said D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. NAACP leader Ben Jealous brought it up explicitly: “We are not sure what the message of the Beck rally is, since he told them to leave their signs at home.” Honestly, Sharpton’s event shouldn’t be a reaction; it should be a celebration. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

$120 million the cost of the forthcoming Martin Luther King memorial on the National Mall in D.C., to be paid for with private funds
$800,000 in fees amount King’s children are charging the memorial’s organizers for using King’s words and likeness in fund-raising materials source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

Certainly my presence is gonna reflect him, because if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing there.
Barack Obama • on whether Martin Luther King, Jr., will affect his inauguration speech on Tuesday, one day after MLK Day. He says that King’s influence is ingrained in him. • source

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09 Mar 2011 15:06