Martin Luther King, Jr Day - 2011

Mr. Brett Reese has been running editorials in recent days calling Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a "plastic god," "sexual degenerate," and "an America hating communist." The 'editorials' are being broadcast on a radio station (KESL) he owns in Greeley Colorado. He just recently increased airing the piece, from two to four times/day. He claimed the information was sent to the station in an anonymous letter.

According to research by the various new sources his "editorial" was taken straight from the website of National Vanguard and has been broadcast the last three years. This organization's website says they believe: "The European race is uniquely beautiful and creative. It is imperative that we survive and progress..."

National Vanguard was founded by William Pierce (1933-2002) and is now run by Kevin Alfred Strom. Some of Mr. Storm other writings include:

"Facts are facts, truth is truth," Reese said, adding that he might pre-empt other programming to air the editorial round the clock. He also added: "...all the criticism I'm taking is just because what I'm doing is not necessarily politically correct..."

Many of the claims in Reese's editorial were spun out of FBI efforts in the 1960s to discredit King, including charges of marital infidelities. I find it ironic that Mr. Reese has previously been charged with suspected enticement of a minor and alleged intimidation of a witness and has pled guilty to one count of possession of illicit pornography.

I forgot to mention, Mr. Reese is also a member of the Greeley School Board. The rest of the Board did pass a resolution (after Mr. Reese walked out of the meeting) supporting the holiday and calling the editorial "inflammatory and detrimental to our district and community." He walked out after a judge issued a restraining order barring him taking a firearm to school board meetings. The order was issued over alleged threats he made against a rival radio station.

The obvious intent of broadcasting such an item, during this particular time of the year, can only be to entice hatred, violence or worse. After the recent tragedy in Tucson, the recent venom espoused (by both sides) during last fall's election it seems quite inappropriate. Are these the same ideals our founders envisioned over two hundred years ago?

Perhaps now is the time to revisit Dr. King's dream. A dream based on non-violence, on equality, fairness and the right for every person to succeed or fail based on equal opportunity and a person's own abilities. In his last public speech he declared an ideal first espoused in 1776, an ideal about America and what we could become:

"Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation."