Park Service to remove inscription on MLK Memorial

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service plans to remove an inscription from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington and replace it with a full quotation from the civil rights leader.

Critics had said the paraphrase didn't accurately reflect King's words.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the plan Friday. The memorial's architect had hoped to simply add words, without removal, to place the phrase in context.

The inscription reads: "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness."

The full quotation is different: "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

[Darr247]

All that needs to be done is change the "I" to "He" at the beginning of the epitaph, and it would say what he intended.

[cbsnews_viewer]

Since King is probably the #1 political black symbol for America, I doubt if its a big deal. Its the park service. I am all for saving money (really I am), but it seems pennywise and dollar stupid not to.