MLK Day
Last week they celebrated MLK day. How well I remember the first time they celebrated it - the day he was shot - April 4th 1968. I was at work and the first I heard of it was when the supervisor came out and told us to shut the plastic bottle making machinery down where I worked in New Castle, Delaware and go home. This was a plant that never shut down except at Christmas for a couple days. While driving home I looked toward Wilmington and saw thick clouds of black smoke rising from the City. It seemed to be starkly unreal what was happening - unbelievable. On the way home I passed my reserve unit and all of the cars were in - our unit had been called up by the governor.
We spent a couple of weeks in Downtown Wilmington directing traffic and keeping the looting down, which was really rampant when this all started. Upon arriving downtown in trucks - they had us fall out on the streets in front of the public (Black district) and lock and load our weapons. This was psychological because it terrorized the community. What is more dangerous than a nervous 20 year old reservist with a loaded semi-automatic weapon? The articles of engagment were short and to the point. If fired upon - by a sniper - shoot to kill. If you see anyone with a molotov cocktail - lit or not - shoot to kill. They didn't mess around back in those days. Throughout this crisis only one person was shot and killed by a reservist.
Listened to the CB radio - which was really big in Delaware back in 1968 - about all of the looting and fires being set in the city. Wilmington was in a total state of anarchy. There were endless stores that had been totally looted and destroyed. This is what I meant by the first celebration - a free shopping spree. Take all you can carry.
My question is - what if something really serious happened like an economic collapse today? What would happen then? With the popular "we're entitled" and "we're owed" mentality so prevelant today I can't imagine what these people would do. Don't want to even think about it.
MLK day is not a day of celebration for me. The violence and anarchy back then overshadowed everything good that he did or was trying to do in my perspective.
Larry II
Last week they celebrated MLK day. How well I remember the first time they celebrated it - the day he was shot - April 4th 1968. I was at work and the first I heard of it was when the supervisor came out and told us to shut the plastic bottle making machinery down where I worked in New Castle, Delaware and go home. This was a plant that never shut down except at Christmas for a couple days. While driving home I looked toward Wilmington and saw thick clouds of black smoke rising from the City. It seemed to be starkly unreal what was happening - unbelievable. On the way home I passed my reserve unit and all of the cars were in - our unit had been called up by the governor.
We spent a couple of weeks in Downtown Wilmington directing traffic and keeping the looting down, which was really rampant when this all started. Upon arriving downtown in trucks - they had us fall out on the streets in front of the public (Black district) and lock and load our weapons. This was psychological because it terrorized the community. What is more dangerous than a nervous 20 year old reservist with a loaded semi-automatic weapon? The articles of engagment were short and to the point. If fired upon - by a sniper - shoot to kill. If you see anyone with a molotov cocktail - lit or not - shoot to kill. They didn't mess around back in those days. Throughout this crisis only one person was shot and killed by a reservist.
Listened to the CB radio - which was really big in Delaware back in 1968 - about all of the looting and fires being set in the city. Wilmington was in a total state of anarchy. There were endless stores that had been totally looted and destroyed. This is what I meant by the first celebration - a free shopping spree. Take all you can carry.
My question is - what if something really serious happened like an economic collapse today? What would happen then? With the popular "we're entitled" and "we're owed" mentality so prevelant today I can't imagine what these people would do. Don't want to even think about it.
MLK day is not a day of celebration for me. The violence and anarchy back then overshadowed everything good that he did or was trying to do in my perspective.
Larry II
