Martin Luther King's final days

The book excerpt describing King’s assassination and the events leading up to it brought thoughtful responses from readers who reflected on the civil rights leader’s contributions to racial equality in the U.S. Some felt, however, that certain details about King’s personal life could have been omitted

The excerpt from Taylor Branch’s biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan. 9) was superb. It helped show the personal side of the man. I disagree, however, with Jesse Jackson, who in Time’s forum, “What If He Were Alive Today?”, said that King would be challenging the war in Iraq. I think King would be less concerned about U.S. actions in Iraq than about seeing the failure of his dream of social justice and equality in this country. The U.S. now seems even more inclined than it was in King’s day to treat people differently just because of their ethnicity, skin color, gender or sexual orientation.

Robert D. Festenstein, Wyoming, Ohio

In 1963 Time selected King as Man of the Year. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. A man of superior intelligence, King was a passionate crusader for complete justice for all people and an extraordinary leader. Americans observe a national holiday in his honor. It grieves me deeply, therefore, that you felt it necessary to print references to his extramarital affairs, which can only diminish his stature. I am not disputing the information in the excerpt. I am only lamenting the fact that so many people seem to find it necessary to expose the clay feet of our heroes.

(The Rev.) Louis Gerhardt

Twenty-nine Palms, California

King’s commitment to nonviolence convinces me that he would abhor all the bloodshed and strife that besiege America today. Murderous gangs, violent disrespect for women and cruelty to animals would be anathema to King. No black or white civil rights activist in the U.S. has filled King’s void. Fortunately, his pacifist ideology profoundly influenced South Africa’s social-justice icons Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

Brien Comerford

Glenview, Illinois

Read the text above and use the following code for questions 1 to 5:

a) if only one of the statements is correct;

b) if two statements only are correct;

c) if all three statements are correct;

d) if none of the statements are correct.

1.       I. Robert Festenstein liked the biography Taylor Branch wrote about Martin Luther King Jr.

II. In his opinion, if King were alive today he would be frustrated to see that his dream of social justice and equality in the U.S. has failed completely.

III. According to Robert Festenstein, Martin Luther King Jr. never gave much attention to the war in Iraq.  

2.       I. Louis Gerhardt does not believe that there should be a national holiday in Martin Luther King Jr.’s honor.

         II. He contests the information presented in the excerpt.

         III. In his opinion, certain details of King’s private life ought not to have been mentioned.

3.       I. To Brien Comerford, Martin Luther King Jr. would strongly condemn American society nowadays if he were still alive.

         II. He thinks King left a void which has not been filled by any black or white civil rights activist in America.

         III. In his opinion, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu have been deeply influenced by King’s ideas.

4.       I. The conjunction however in “I disagree, however, with Jesse Jackson” is equivalent to nevertheless.

         II. The word therefore, which appears in “It grieves me deeply, therefore, that you felt it necessary to print references to his extramarital affairs,” normally introduces a conclusion.

         III. The verb dispute in “I am not disputing the information in the excerpt” cannot be translated into disputar.

5.       I. The opposites of the words show (It helped show the personal side of the man), alive (“What If He Were Alive Today?”) and failure (the failure of his dream of social justice and equality in this country) are, respectively, exhibit, dying and succeed.

         II. When you say that someone has clay feet, you mean that he or she is very seriously ill.

         III. The words abhor, bloodshed, strife and besiege, which appear in “King’s commitment to nonviolence convinces me that he would abhor all the bloodshed and strife that besiege America today” mean more or less the same as love, blood type, suit and attack.