It’s not enough that the wealthy have acquired historically unmatched sums of money. It’s not enough that their greed has bankrupted familes and burdened social services as they rapaciously acquire wealth. It’s worse. Speaking at Ken Lay’s memorial service, Rev. William Lawson offered this description of poor Ken Lay:
Lawson likened Lay to James Byrd, a black man who was dragged to death in a racially motivated murder near Jasper eight years ago.
"Ken Lay was neither black nor poor, as James Byrd was, but I’m angry because Ken was the victim of a lynching," said Lawson, who predicted that history will vindicate Lay.
His comments, met by hearty applause, referred to Lay’s recent federal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from Enron’s unraveling in 2001 and four charges of bank fraud. Lay had planned to appeal his conviction and was awaiting sentencing when he died.
They have no shame. It’s sickening and repulsive that someone could make that comparison, IN TEXAS, and unimaginable that they would be met with ‘hearty applause.’
If you don’t remember what happened to James Byrd, please read this.
Article by Don Pogreba
Don is an English/Debate teacher and debate handbook author who lives in Helena, MT, and who can't imagine living anywhere other than this glorious state. Much of his writing happens late at night and he is unlikely to respond to your comments during the day.
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The Ender’s Game series suggests that funerals shouldn’t be an opportunity to glorify the dead; I suppose that’s doubly true when the dead man in question is a conniving thief who bilked thousands out of their life saving for his personal benefit. My brother thinks that Lay faked his death and escaped to a Caribbean island–sadly, this idea does not sound implausible.
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