[CholeraJoe]

I was in college and several of my Fraternity brothers who had graduated and taken jobs in Memphis, fled the city to hole up at the Fraternity house. They told of hearing gunfire and weaving through burning cars as they drove out of town.

[kevinm13]

How many remember that Rev. King was a Republican? I will guarantee you that fact won’t come out in all the media coverage today.

[squarebarb]

I have just been reading the journals of Thomas Merton and he writes of these occurances as they were happening.

It seemed as if the United States was falling apart. A terrible time.

King’s loss was catastrophic. We needed him. I don’t care what is said about his affairs etc. he was a great man.

[FrdmLvr]

Frankly, I for one, am tired of hearing about it. It’s just another excuse for a national pity party for one of our protected special interest groups.

[Skooz]

My dad was in the Air Force over seas (Vietnam War) and my mom, sister and I were staying at my grandparents’ home in El Paso, Texas. I was eight years old.

I had seen MLK before (on TV) and I thought he was a good man. I was shocked when the report flashed on the screen that he had been killed. The news reports on the nightly news (we must have watched the same Huntley Brinkley Report) made me sad and I wondered why anyone would do such a thing as to kill this peaceful fellow.

Later, my grandfather who was stationed at Fort Bliss, burst throught the door and told us the news, as if we hadn’t heard it already.

[CobraJet]

I was born and raised in Memphis, so I know it well. There were riots in Memphis for about 3 days afterwords. My dad, a Battle of the Bulge vet, said it was just like being in combat again. He worked at a plant in a bad part of town and was on the second shift at the time. He said he had to stay in the cover of buildings as bullets were flying. He drove to and from work holding the wheel in one hand and a 45 revolver in the other. When the gangs would see the gun, they would move out of the streets and let him pass. There was a dusk to dawn curfew, but that did not stop the gangs from roving the streets, burning and looting.