Steve Samuelson Assaulted at MLK Breakfast

I'm no morning person and neither is my car. We both groaned as we bounced along icy roads early yesterday morning for something of a Bethlehem tradition. Approximately 130 people braved the icy cold weather for the annual Martin Luther King breakfast at the stately Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Civil rights leader Esther Lee usually leads these things, but she was actually in the kitchen, cooking up free breakfasts. Cordelia Miller, Bethlehem NAACP VP, introduced guests that included United States Senator Pat Toomey. It was a very nice event until poor Steve Samuelson got assaulted. I'll be writing a separate story for The Bethlehem Press that omits these significant details, but thought I should clue you in on what really happened.

Five speakers were featured. That's pretty many, especially considering that there was also a panel discussion after breakfast. In addition, there were several songs. So Cordelia Miller asked speakers to keep it brief. Two minutes tops.

Nobody listened except for DA John Morganelli. He wasn't there at all. He was laid up at home, in bed with a cold. When Cordelia announced John's absence, the room burst into applause.

Not quite sure how John should take that.

Anyway, one of the first names Cordelia called was State Representative Steve Samuelson. He was missing, too.

But after two or three speakers, he showed up and marched up to deliver a keynote address. He actually had a book with him and read passages from it. He certainly was knowledgeable. Passionate, too.

Then he made his mistake. When he was done, he plopped down right next to NorCo Council person Tara Zrinski.

Steve, you may recall, recently hand-delivered a shitload of diapers to the Salvation Army. They were bought with other people's money. He issued not one, not two, but three news releases concerning this important event. He had a staffer photograph him as he carried the poopie pants in to this worthy charity. He also had video taken and had that posted on a state website.

But these diapers are single-use plastic. They're worse than plastic straws.

Zrinski throttled poor Steve as he sat down.

"You bastard!" she shouted. "Don't you know that disposable diapers take 500 years to decompose in a landfill? Did you even think about the greenhouse gases that come from baby shit?" she exclaimed as she wrested him to the ground.

"Down with the patriarchy!" Zrinski shouted as police hauled her away. "Get your hands off me, you old white men."

Samuelson was released from the hospital late last night.

Bethlehem NAACP Remembers MLK on 50th Anniversary of His Death

Terry and Ryan Gooding, ages 8 and 6

On Tuesday evening, Allentown's NAACP featured a forum that was supposed to be about the impact of hip hop music. Though I'm one of the few old farts who actually listens to and appreciates this music, I skipped the event because this nonprofit, which is supposed to refrain from partisan politics, featured a Congressional candidate as well as a person who thinks she should be Allentown's Mayor. But last night, the Bethlehem NAACP stayed true to its mission with a march to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was cut down just 50 years ago at age 39. The march of about 50 people started at Payrow Plaza, located on Bethlehem's north side, at 5 pm. It ended at Martin Luther King Park, located on the south side, shortly before 6 pm. And at that hour, the hour that King was assassinated, the bells at Holy Ghost Church tolled. They also rang out at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity.

Despite strong winds and plunging temperatures, the pilgrimage marched. At one time, not so long ago, police officers might have clubbed participants  But Bethlehem Police, including its mounted unit, protected marchers from their biggest enemy at rush hour - traffic. NAACP President Esther Lee, with her ubiquitous church hat, joined the march en route, cane and all.

The crowd arrived at Martin Luther King Park a little early. It warmed itself, not with hip hop, but gospel music belted out by Winston Alozie, program director of the Bethlehem Boys and Girls Club.With no accompaniment except for his audience, Winston delivered a stirring rendition of "Let it Shine."



Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez, joined by City Council members Olga Negron and Michael Colón, said Dr. King was more than an advocate for people of color, but a "champion of the overlooked and downtrodden."

State Rep. Steve Samuelson carried a book that contained all of King's most memorable speeches. He said that, a few days after the assassination, King's widow Coretta led a march in Memphis in which people carried signs saying, "Honor King, End Racism." But 50 years later, that dream has yet to be realized. But the dream still lives, as Stevie Wonder notes in a video he just released, including comments from numerous luminaries.



"Dr. King did not die just for black folks," added Lee. She and other speakers spoke about King's fights against residential segregation (more politely called gentrification), poverty, poor wages, police brutality and Vietnam. Some speakers claim that, in the 50 years since King's death, things have grown worse. But for them, standing in a pocket park on a cold and windy day, the dream still lives.

I sometimes have my doubts. I often think of the opening line of poem by e.e. cummings. "pity this busy monster, manunkind, ... not." But then I see two sisters like Terry and Ryan Gooding, ages 8 and 6. How could anyone hate them? The dream does still live.

Blogger's Note: To see photos and videos from yesterday's march, visit my Facebook page.

Who Dat?

Who Dat?

Why dat's my grandson, Dat Lambert (age 10) looking for room to shoot or pass during last week's Martin Luther King's Day three-on-three tournament at Bath's In The Zone. I composed this post just so I can post that picture, which I love. Please forgive me for bragging.

Notre Dame's CYO teams includes ballers like Caden Giordano (who chipped two front teeth on the court and laughed) and Grant Hershman (who as grandson of Allentown watchdog Lou, claims the team spends too much money). They are coached by Emil Giordano, who moonlights as a Northampton County judge.

Dat celebrated his diversity on MLK Day by putting points on the board. Just ten years ago, he would never have been allowed to play there. Nobody could. It did not exist.

In the Zone is a great place to shoot hoops, has an indoor batting cage and lots of tournaments for all ages.

MLK: Contemporary Church "Arch Defender of the Status Quo"

Buddy Christ could probably do better at making this point, but MLK did a pretty good job himself, not so very long ago.

So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an arch defender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

Has anything really changed?

Update: Barack Obama, polled to win big in New Hampshire, was instead narrowly defeated by Hillary Clinton. New Hapshire, incidentally, is the last state in the country to recognize Martin Luther King Day as a holiday.

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

"[W]e must find an alternative to war and bloodshed. Anyone who feels, and there are still a lot of people who feel that way, that war can solve the social problems facing mankind is sleeping through a great revolution. President Kennedy said on one occasion, 'Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.' The world must hear this. I pray to God that America will hear this before it is too late, because today we’re fighting a war."

Mankind put an end, both to Martin Luther King, Jr., and JFK. But not to what they said.