Ken Lay (reportedly) like a black man dragged to his death in a lynching

[Human Torch]

Ken Lay praised and defended by family and friends
Dignitaries are among more than 1,000 attending

By MIKE TOLSON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4043620.html

In a memorial service that bounced back and forth from loving salute to spirited defense, former Enron Chairman Ken Lay was remembered Wednesday as a kind and generous man who was unfairly characterized after the company's collapse. Lay, who died at 64 last week of a heart attack in Colorado, was praised for his deep devotion to his family and respect for all people, whether executives or janitorial staff.

"I am glad to have known Ken Lay and glad that he was willing to reach down and touch people like me," said the Rev. William Lawson, pastor emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. "Ken was a rich and powerful man, and he could have limited his association to people who were likewise rich and powerful." Lawson said Lay helped untold numbers of people with college tuition, medical expenses and other needs.

More than 1,000 mourners gathered at First United Methodist Church, where Lay had been a member. They included friends, former Enron employees and erstwhile dignitaries, including former President George H.W. Bush, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and ex-Houston Mayor Bob Lanier, who collapsed just before the service began and was taken by ambulance to St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital.

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.

:eyes:



Former U.S. President George Bush arrives at the memorial service for Enron founder Ken Lay at the First United Methodist Church in Houston July 12, 2006. (Richard Carson - UNITED STATES/Reuters)

[Punkingal]

1. What an outrageous comment.

And look who went to the funeral! That is outrageous also.

[xchrom]

2. uh -- can i have a secret service man that looks like that -- or that one?

what was this thread about again?

[Human Torch]

4. Focus, people...FOCUS!

:evilgrin:

:toast:

[xchrom]

8. pardon me? -- uh -- oh yeah -- ok i'm back.

:toast:

[ogradda]

7. Yeah

that caught my attention too. :D

[zbdent]

16. You find

Judge Rheinhold sexy?

Ewww ...

[xchrom]

20. that's a secret service -- and handsome too!

this is judge reinhold.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001662/
and not my type.

[zbdent]

21. I'm sorry, but that SS agent either looks like

Judge Reinhold or that guy from the Drew Carey Show/Whose Line Is It Anyway, Ryan Stiles ...

[xchrom]

28. prada has new line of frames out that would look smart

for those new glasses you're getting.

you'd look great in the tortoise shell.

;-)

[Raster]

36. Helllllllloooooooo Agent Mike

[kurth]

3. An assembly of lying thieving assholes

praising one of their own.

[unpossibles]

5. that is amazing

at least they gave equal time to be outraged at the thousands of people whose lives were ruined by Enron.... what? they didn't? imagine that....

[rfranklin]

6. Just when you think they can sink no lower....

they come up with a mind-blowing comparison like that!

[CBGLuthier]

9. The most humane thing Lay ever did

was to be cremated.

Can you just imagine the line to piss on his grave. Hours of standing in the hot sun. oh, the humanity. :-)

[niyad]

10. self-delete dupe

[LibDemAlways]

11. You have to read the entire article to experience the

depths to which a media whore will willingly sink to prop up a member of Bush's extended crime family. Quoting a supposed former Enron employee who lost practically everything but is doing "ok" is beyond the pale.

I despise these people and the press which blatently whores for them.

[VolcanoJen]

23. He was really nice to the cleaning woman, too

:eyes: I mean, was it necessary to include that in the article? I found it to be abhorent.

It's kind of like when Nixon died, and this lovefest celebration emerged and eclipsed all talk of what he really did in life.

[niyad]

12. william a lawson institute for peace and prosperity contact info:

anybody wishing to comment on lawson's remarks, this is his office phone number:
713-731-3600

http://www.wheelerbc.org/revwilliamalawson.htm

[madrchsod]

13. another preacher who ain`t getting into heaven..

you know there`s going to be a lot of disappointed preachers when they find the gate closed in their face...

[Virginia Dare]

14. Yes, I can see the similarities....

James Byrd dies of massive injuries after being dragged to death simply because of the color of his skin. Ken Lay, a convicted criminal awaiting sentencing, dies instantly of a massive heart attack in his swanky vacation condo at Aspen, enjoying a lifestyle which was paid for by ill-gotten gains swindled from his former employees. Yes, that's perfectly logical.
:crazy: :wtf: :freak:

[kurth]

17. Remember Gov. George W. Bush refused to meet James Byrd's daughter

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=8971

[ComerPerro]

25. Just like Jesus, and MLK Jr, and JFK, eh?

[Brewman_Jax]

15. Absolutely ridiculous

and insulting to actual victims of a brutal crime. A rich, well-connected white man who was never in any danger was a "victim". To put "lynching" and "Ken Lay" in the same sentence is laughable.

[KKKarl is an idiot]

18. Who went to the funeral?

I believe a funeral is a solemn thing. No matter how bad the man was we try to put him to rest in a dignified manner. But to see all these ex-politicians going to the funeral was un-called for. Former president Bush has disgraced the office of the president by turning up for this. People lost everything. They are working $7.00 jobs at Walmart just ot make it through. As for the preacher he should be stopped from preaching. No one lynch mobbed Ken Lay. He was convicted in a court of law. Are we now calling a Federal court a lynch mob?

[niyad]

19. welcome to DU--the preacher is retired, take a look at his website

[VolcanoJen]

22. Outrageous and disgusting.

And wouldn't you know it, Poppy Bush was in the crowd?

[Totally Committed]

24. Makes me wonder what our African-American DU-ers think about that...

I am not African-American, but I am appaled, disgusted, and insulted enough as-is.

Where do these people get their nerve? There's something pretty powerful in their darned Kool-Aid these days.

TC

[KeepItReal]

34. Lay got the best eulogy money can buy I guess

Just because someone is a reverend and has a bug church doesn't make him/her any kind of leader. I went to a "Black" church in Houston where the pastor openly supported Rick Perry (R - Bushclone) for governor and Lee Brown (D) for mayor IN THE SAME SERVICE.

Here's a good take on it:

"I found the Rev. William Lawson's comments likening Lay to hate-crime victim James Byrd disturbing. A memorial service isn't the place for unvarnished candor, but this was over the top:
...
Byrd was dragged to death near Jasper in a racially motivated murder eight years ago. He was a victim. He did nothing to provoke his attack. Lay was the target of prosecution for overseeing one of the biggest corporate frauds in American history. There is no parallel, no matter how angry Lawson is.

Even if you believe, as many Lay supporters do, that the prosecution was overzealous and unfair, the analogy still doesn't work. Lay wasn't selected at random. He wasn't walking innocently at the side of the road when he was singled out for torture and murder by a trio of hate-mongers.

A jury of peers found that Lay committed crimes, they found him guilty on all six counts against him. The legal system may -- in fact, likely will -- vacate the conviction, but history will not. "

http://blogs.chron.com/lorensteffy/2006/07/some_thoughts_o.html

[orleans]

26. closed casket eh? jesus christ eh? mlk eh? jfk eh?

WHAT NEXT???

[Bridget Burke]

30. No casket.

Ken Lay was cremated in Colorado & his ashes were buried there. Last Sunday, a "private" Memorial Service was held in Colorado--no casket there, either.

I could understand a eulogy that emphasized the good someone had done. The legal "issues" should have been ignored, rather than blamed on the government.

And the comparisons are revolting.

[LaPera]

27. So what country you think old Kenny boy is enjoying his millions in?

Since they say he's dead, the government can't touch much of his money!

[LibDemAlways]

33. I think he's alive and laughing his

ass off in some oil rich country run by friends of the Bush Crime Family. These people protect their own, and no way were they going to let poor old loyal Kenny Boy go to the slammer. This way his money is protected and no one will be the wiser.

[leesa]

29. That guy should be thrown out of his church for such a comment.

Disgusting.

[Dr Fate]

31. So why did you all have him murdered then? n/t

n/t

[skids]

32. Taking off the tinfoil hat for a moment...

...if the only way to rid ourselves of these parasites is to give them fatal stress-related diseases, so be it. Go to it.

I'm past civility.

[Contrary1]

35. "...his deep devotion to his family and respect for all people"

I'm sure that all the good folks who lost their life's savings will find
solace in the knowledge that Kenny respected them. Yep.