MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR DAY: JANUARY 20, 2025

 The following is an editorial.

January 20, 2025 is poised to be an interesting day in United States history.

First is the fact that today marks the 105th anniversary of the American Civil Liberties Union.

We are also still within the official period of mourning for the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. While US flags are supposed to remain at half staff until January 29, some folks have announced that they will violate Federal Flag Codes today and flag their flags at full staff instead because Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, replacing Joseph Biden.

But this is also the third Monday of January, the date set aside each year to honor the memory of Civil Rights Leader Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior.

A man taken from us much too soon.

While I have posted several memorial articles here on The Free Choice E-zine over the years honoring him, I cannot help thinking that in these troubled times we need a voice of reason like Doctor King possessed now more than ever.

THOSE WHO LOVE PEACE MUST LEARN TO ORGANIZE AS EFFECTIVELY AS THOSE WHO LOVE WAR.

Hatred and bigotry seem to lead the "hit parade" in regards to man's inhumanity towards his fellow human beings lately.

I HAVE A DREAM THAT MY FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN WILL ONE DAY LIVE IN A NATION WHERE THEY WILL NOT BE JUDGED BY THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, BUT BY THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER.

Voter suppression, class separation, wealth dividing society, women's rights being suppressed, war and rumors of war...

DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS. ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT.

HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE. ONLY LOVE CAN DO THAT.

When will it end?

THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.

Hopefully peacefully within our respective lifetimes.

YOU ONLY NEED A HEART FULL OF GRACE AND A SOUL GENERATED BY LOVE.

While I am too young to remember him expect from a historical perspective, Doctor King is known and respected around the world.

WE MUST LIVE TOGETHER AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

OR PERISH TOGETHER AS FOOLS.

I BELIEVE THAT UNARMED TRUTH AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE WILL HAVE THE FINAL WORD IN REALITY.

THAT IS WHY RIGHT, EVEN TEMPORARILY DEFEATED, IS ALWAYS STRONGER THAN ANY EVIL TRIUMPHANT.

Lee Houston, Junior

Editor-In-Chief, The Free Choice E-zine.

January 20, 2025

The above was an editorial.

DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHOR KING, JUNIOR IN QUOTES.

All links were active at the time of posting.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: OBSERVATIONAL FUNNIES (misc jokes)

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!
Snowed in because of the recent weather, but otherwise warm and dry. Hope you are the same.

Time travelers predict that next week was really exhausting.
I wonder how they know?

Think I'm gonna go back into that nice warm house I share with my people and comment on what I've seen lately. Ready?

By now everyone's Christmas decorations should be down and packed away, except for those lazy people who are getting a jump on the 2019 holiday this December.

At least half, if not more, New Year's Resolutions have already fallen by the wayside, so expect trouble parking at curbs until the garbage is collected.

Nobody notices or even pitches in when it's time to do housework, but everybody is certainly quick to comment when you don't.

For those who don't know the meaning of procrastination, I will tell you tomorrow.

For those who want to watch just a little TV, does that mean you use a small set?

Waxy Dragon missed one dental joke from last week. Whoever came up with the word dentures really missed the opportunity to call them substitooths.

When you are frustrated with an older person because of all the things they cannot do anymore, just imagine how frustrated they must be about all that they are no longer able to do.

And on that note♫, for those who don't believe that time travel is possible, just remember that it IS later now than when you began reading this post.

Take care and please be back with us again next weekend for more Sunday Funnies.—AtP.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JANUARY 20, 2018

😎FUN FACT
Eggs contain every (known) Vitamin except C.

RHYME TIME
The clue to something is below, but no matter how long your answer is, every word within it must rhyme. Ready?

An alleged “classic” that’s actually beyond its prime.

TRIVIA TIME
According to Sue Grafton, what is Kinsey Milhone’s favorite meal?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the January 13, 2018 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
January 18 marks the 240th anniversary of Captain Cook discovering the Sandwich Islands.
But what has happened to them since then?
We know them today better as the Hawaiian Islands.

QUOTE THIS! (NEW GAME!)
In this puzzle, all you have to do is identify the source of a given quote. Ready?

“Is this Heaven?”
“No. Iowa.”
The above exchange was repeated a couple of times during the movie Field of Dreams.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR (2014)

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL.

Today (at least here within the United States) we pause to honor the life and deeds of Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior.

A man of peace and both a believer AND practitioner of pacifistic opposition against what he felt was wrong with the world, Doctor King is famous for, amongst other things, his "I Have A Dream" speech, delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; August 28, 1963.

"I have a dream that one day my four little children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

While Doctor King sadly did not live to see the day his dream came true for his children, it is even sadder that prejudice still exists, and that hatred and bias continues in the world along other factors; including differences in personal preferences and economic status.

The day when EVERYONE, not just in this nation but the entire world, is judged only by the content of their character is one I greatly look forward to, but doubt I will ever see within my lifetime.

Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine
20 January, 2014

THE ABOVE WAS AN EDITORIAL.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: SLEEPY HUMOR

Sleeping on the job

Hello everyone! Ms. Waxy Dragon here!
Let's take a look at the funny side of sleeping today.

Why should you take hay to bed with you?
To feed your nightmare.

Why did the man take a ruler to bed with him?
He wanted to see how long he slept.

A log woke up in the forest after a good rest and said, "Boy! I slept like a human last night!"

Did you hear about the mattress store that wouldn't let a customer in?
Apparently the guy showed up in his pajamas and said he wanted to test the mattresses before he bought one.

Did you hear about the guy who dreamed he ate a giant marshmallow?
He woke up in the morning and discovered his pillow was missing.

Infamous pickup line: "You must be tired because you've been running through my dreams all night."

So pleasant dreams everyone, and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-wd.