King’s Name

As an admirer of the Rev. Dr. Margin Luther King Jr., I am deeply saddened to see his name become the lightning rod for so much anger and bitterness.

In the controversy over naming the San Diego convention center, people seem to have lost track of an important perspective: Dr. King was part of the civil rights movement, a political and social struggle that involved thousands of people across America. Some people see Dr. King as a hero, and some do not; however, the fact remains that the civil rights movement profoundly affected the course of American society.

All those who are now so passionately caught up in the convention center controversy would do well to stop and ask themselves how the city of San Diego should educate itself about the history of the civil rights movement. I propose that the City Council dedicate itself to establishing a museum dealing with the history of civil rights in America. Such a museum would serve to honor Dr. King in a way far more fitting than any naming of the new convention center.

AUSTIN GALLAHER

Pacific Beach