A Second King Day Weekend In A Row -- Of Largely Unfathomable Hatred -- A Nation Divided, Under Trump.

It was one year ago, this weekend, that I wrote the below... I couldn't fathom a King weekend marred by an incoming president-elect insulting a civil rights icon like Rep. Lewis, in 2017. Fast forward one year, and the same president (small "p") has this weekend called out the entire populations of several nations, while openly preferring "Norway" -- on immigration matters. [What exactly makes a Norwegian-American preferable to a Haitian-American, in his eyes? I'll not wait for any answer. For none that withstands a rational, constitutional review will ever appear.]

I do believe Dr. King would have taken the Buddha's path here (see above masthead revision) -- and said "the truth shall not be long hidden."

I too will endeavor to now lightly take that path, and with a wide, self-mocking grin -- say that this particular "shithole" -- my tiny fiefdom -- is open and welcoming of all peoples, all nations and all self-ascribed identities.

That is, I for one think only light will counter and overcome. . . darkness, as Dr. King said.

So I will ignore 45 -- and smile on the millions of people of good will in this nation -- and the billions outside of it -- wishing one and all a peaceful, connected and uplifting King Day Weekend 2018. We will move forward. . . toward better days, together. Here is last year's installment -- for reference:

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UPDATED Sunday morning (01.15.2017): I write on a King Weekend entirely unlike any I've seen in a generation.

This is a Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day weekend that saw the President-elect choose to deride-by-tweet Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a senior Congressman whose skull was fractured by police during a civil rights march, in Selma, Alabama with Dr. King -- over a half century ago. In fact, after Rep. Lewis exercised his right to resist the President-elect's legitimacy (citing the Russian influence concerns), and said he would not attend the inaugural, Mr. Trump insulted him as a man who is "all talk, talk, talk — no action or results." Recall here that as Rep. Lewis was being beaten on the bridge in Selma, to win us all the freedom of our full civil rights, Mr. Trump was dodging the draft at a privileged private school, in upstate New York. [And that was only when Trump wasn't discriminating against people of color -- in his father's rental empire. Talk? Meet action. . . .] This is also however, a weekend that saw Jennifer Holliday decide she could not be part of any endorsement of 45, or his policies -- and after first waffling a bit -- declined to sing on the night before the inaugural. So, I still remain optimistic.

I am optimistic because Rep. Lewis's book has sold out in stores around the nation, in response to 45's hateful, demeaning rhetoric. I am optimistic that people will simply turn off their TVs on Friday (as Cher has asked by tweet) -- as ratings are the only numbers 45 seems to value. I am optimistic that the crowds arriving by over 1,200 buses cleared into DC for Saturday next -- for the Womens' Protest March -- will dwarf the crowds delivered by those 200 buses cleared for the inaugural itself, on Friday.

I think Dr. King would say this is a time for peaceful, non-violent action -- but a time for action, no doubt. [And an update, from July 10 of last year -- of profoundly wonderful memories. . . .]

नमस्ते