Is the Chinese designed and built MLK memorial and insult to his memory?

[StorminNorman]

A monumental insult to Dr. King

God and the weather willing, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial soon will be dedicated amid moving speeches, joyous hoopla and inevitable controversy.

The controversy is inevitable because there is little in America that is grandiose (and much that is not) that is not controversial.

In the case of the King memorial, the controversy is whether the enormous statue of one of the greatest figures in American history should be stamped “Made in China.”

The “Stone of Hope” statue of Dr. King was sculpted in China by a Chinese sculptor out of Chinese granite and shipped to the United States where it was assembled by Chinese workers.

The Chinese workers were paid nothing - - which would seem to me to violate not only Dr. King’s principles but also U.S. anti-slavery laws - - though they were hoping to get paid something when they returned to China.

The Statue of Liberty, I should point out, was sculpted by a Frenchman in France. But it was a gift to the United States and celebrated a concept, not an actual human being who lived and died in America and for America.

Chinese sculptor Lei Yixin was selected by the King memorial people, and Lei worked from scores of photographs of King. Lei is famous in China for his work, especially his statue of Mao Zedong.

But some critics have asked a pretty basic question: Was there no American sculptor, especially an African-American sculptor, who was capable of sculpting a statue of Dr. King?

Apparently not, at least according to the people who did the selection. What’s more, even though hundreds of thousands of experienced - - and unionized - - American construction workers are currently unemployed, did we really need to bring in workers from China to put the sculpture together?

Yes, Edward Jackson Jr., the executive architect of the project, recently told Courtland Milloy of the Washington Post. “Not only did we need an artist, we needed someone with the means and methods of putting those large stones together,” Jackson said. “We don’t do this in America. We don’t handle stones of this size.”

Jackson has worked long and hard to get the King memorial built, and he is deserving of recognition for his efforts and dedication. But his statement is pure baloney. The sculptures at the site are made up of 159 blocks of granite, and I think the United States of America - - somehow - - could have scoured its citizenry and found people who knew how to put together 159 blocks of granite.

Even though the King “Stone of Hope” sculpture is huge - - 30-feet high, compared with 19 feet 6 inches for the seated figure of Abraham Lincoln and 19 feet for the standing figure of Thomas Jefferson at their memorials - - I really feel there is a union hall somewhere in this country right now with people sitting around who can handle a 30-foot project.

They would expect to get paid, of course. The prevailing wage for an American stonemason in the Washington area is $32 an hour, plus $12 an hour in benefits.

The Post, which has done some very good reporting on the project over the years, had a reporter go out with a representative of a local union that represents stonemasons to see how the Chinese workers were being treated. It turns out they were being housed in a very nice high-rise in Crystal City, Va., and were being given free room and board, but no pay.

The union rep took a Chinese-speaking translator along and he asked one of the laborers why the men would work without pay.

“ ‘Because they are working for ‘national honor,’ ” the worker said. “ ‘To bring glory to the Chinese people.’ ”

We have a sense of national honor and glory, too, of course. Dr. King told a union crowd of striking sanitation workers in Memphis on the evening of April 3, 1968: “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life - - longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now…. I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”

The following night, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, he was assassinated.

With the dedication of his national memorial coming up in the weeks ahead, it would be nice to concentrate only on that which is pleasant and uncontroversial.

But Dr. King died for something, and it wasn’t for Americanism or national pride. It was for the universal principles of justice, peace and freedom. For here and for China, too.

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=1F5468FE-6579-4840-B334-316657621282

 

[hippie_hunter]

From what I read, the reason why they went with the Chinese granite is because it was superior to the American granite.

As for a Chinese man sculpting it? Who cares, as a matter in fact I think Dr. King wouldn't mind what race or nationality someone is who is making a memorial.

 

[SuperFerret]

I'd say that's a bit different than slave labor.

 

[Superman]

From what I read, the reason why they went with the Chinese granite is because it was superior to the American granite.

As for a Chinese man sculpting it? Who cares, as a matter in fact I think Dr. King wouldn't mind what race or nationality someone is who is making a memorial.

Exactly.

 

[Paradoxium]

Maybe we can fly over some chinese workers to work on the Freedom tower as well.

Made a 15 story hotel in 6 days

[YT]PNv13fY_3jY[/YT]

 

[DACrowe]

Really? This is a "controversy?"

The French-born Statue of Liberty says this conversation is over.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

From what I read, the reason why they went with the Chinese granite is because it was superior to the American granite.

As for a Chinese man sculpting it? Who cares, as a matter in fact I think Dr. King wouldn't mind what race or nationality someone is who is making a memorial.

Really? This is a "controversy?"

The French-born Statue of Liberty says this conversation is over.

this

/closethread

 

[8wid]

Martin Luther King Jr. is now owned by American culture, he is like Ghandi, a global individual.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Most Americans won't care that it was built by the Chinese when they see the MLK memorial. I they will care about is what he stood for.

 

[SuperFerret]

I think the issue is that the workers were stiffed on their pay.

 

[Marx]

Really? This is a "controversy?"

The French-born Statue of Liberty says this conversation is over.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Is StorminNorman just bored and looking for another wedge issue to exploit?

o YES

o NO

 

[Marvolo]

Who cares if a chinese man sculpted it! He's a human being. His race, nationality, and skin color is irrelevant. MLK fought for equality and I don't think he would care about the sculptors race or nationality.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Martin Luther King Jr. is now owned by American culture, he is like Ghandi, a global individual.

Actually, his likeness is owned by his estate. They (the people who made the statue) had to pay 800,000 USD to use his image. That's what most of the controversy stemmed from. The statue being made by a Chinese artist known for doing statues of Mao Zedong came later.

Also, the Statue of Liberty was a gift, paid for by France (except the pedestal), Americans didn't pay the French to build a monument for them.

 

[StorminNorman]

Is StorminNorman just bored and looking for another wedge issue to exploit?

o YES

o NO

I didn't write the article.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I didn't write the article.

But you selected it and made the thread (obviously because you agreed with it). Anyway 16-0. Looks like your poll has a pretty clear consensus.

 

[StorminNorman]

But you selected it and made the thread (obviously because you agreed with it). Anyway 16-0. Looks like your poll has a pretty clear consensus.

Do you REALLY think I agreed with an article arguing that it is a national embarrassment to not use Union workers in constructing an MLK memorial?

I was one of the 16.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Do you REALLY think I agreed with an article arguing that it is a national embarrasment to not use Union workers in constructing an MLK memorial?

I was one of the 16.

National embarrasment?

 

[Pink Ranger]

For what it's worth, I believe Dr. King would not like the idea of a giant statue of his likeness, regardless of who made it. I don't see him as that kind of guy.

 

[Victarion]

No, he wouldn't want an idol made of him. I do have an idol made of him in my closet. I leave him valentine's cards.

 

[StorminNorman]

For what it's worth, I believe Dr. King would not like the idea of a giant statue of his likeness, regardless of who made it. I don't see him as that kind of guy.

I disagree. I think he liked being a historical figure, in part due to what he represented.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I disagree. I think he liked being a historical figure, in part due to what he represented.

He would want schoolchildren to listen and read his speeches, for people to read what he wrote and what he said. But a 30-foot tall stone idol is not something The Reverend Dr. King would be particularly ecstatic about.

 

[StorminNorman]

Again, I disagree. The man had an ego. Which isn't a bad thing, but he is overly deified in todays world.

As is Jefferson.
And Lincoln.
And Captain Kangaroo.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Almost every famous figure in history had an ego (and certainly every President). That's where they drew their confidence to achieve the fantastic things they did.

 

[StorminNorman]

Agreed.

Which is why I think few famous figures have any problem with memorials in their name.