Dr. Martin Luther King

With the Martin Luther King holiday upon us, I think it behooves us to remember that it was 32 years ago, on Oct. 19, when the Rev. King was arrested, along with 52 others, in Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta for refusing to leave the store’s restaurant. All the other arrestees were subsequently released; King, however, was singled out, and held, promptly tried and sentenced to four months at hard labor.

Republican Judge Lawrence E. Walsh drafted a statement urging the federal Justice Department to support a petition for immediate release of Dr. King; copies were sent to Republican President Eisenhower and Republican presidential candidate and Vice President Richard Nixon, who was out on the campaign trail. Both chose to ignore the recommendation.

Notre Dame law professor Harris Wofford, at that time Sen. John F. Kennedy’s campaign civil rights section director, urged Kennedy to intervene. The Democratic presidential candidate did so; and Dr. King was released on bail, pending appeal, within two days. If there was a lesson to be learned here, you can be sure the Republicans still haven’t learned it.

NICHOLAS S. KOFF

West Hollywood