Is King still king?

Martin Luther King, Jr. will always be remembered. He was an important figure in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and he is admired for his nonviolent approaches. I think Martin Luther King, Jr. can still be considered "king" for civil rights because there has not been another movement since the 1960s, and there has not been anyone who has made a public impression on the issue of civil rights. People still think of Martin Luther King, Jr. when they think of civil rights.

As important as King is, he will only remain socially "king" if we continue to study what he did and what he stood for. As time goes on, the civil rights movement becomes less relevant to us because that is not the most talked issue right now. In today's society issues like immigration, gun control, and the economy are a lot bigger than civil rights. We still acknowledge what King did, but his actions become less relevant as time progresses. None of us lived through the civil rights movement, so we don't have a first-hand experience as what society was like at that time. We can't fully comprehend what effect King had on all the people. However, that doesn't stop us from appreciating what he did for the civil rights movement. He can looked at as an example all of us. We may not be fighting for civil rights, but King's nonviolent and peaceful approach of protesting is something we can all take note of no matter what we are protesting. Martin Luther King, Jr. is definitely a role model for all of us.

Music Review: Taking Back Sunday

"Passion over consequence, since when did the latter take the lead?"

                                                     -"Swing" from New Again

 I first heard of Taking Back Sunday as I was going through TV channels, and one of their videos was being played on Fuse. The video was of one of the band's more popular songs, "Liar (It Takes One to Know One)." I looked the band up on YouTube and almost immediately came across "MakeDamnSure." These two songs got me hooked to the band, and they're both from their third album Louder Now.

Taking Back Sunday has been one of my favorites band since I first heard of them. As of today, I am the proud owner of Louder Now and New Again on vinyls. I wouldn't say that they have a completely original sound or style, but something about them really clicks with me. Almost every song I've heard from them has been stuck in my head at some point. Each song on these two albums tells something different, and the lyrics are something I really appreciate. I feel like they actually care some sort of meaning. For example, here's the first stanza of "Miami" from Louder Now:

The whole truth and nothing but the truth

Stop me if you've heard this one before

The whole truth is nothing but a good excuse

So long as you don't torture me with my past

Let's be honest; a secret silenced is a secret safe

There's honesty in that stanza, and that's something that I like a lot. A lot of the band's lyrics are like this. They tell a story that holds something that anyone can relate to even though it's in the context of the song. So for those of you who are into alternative rock or are just curious to listen to them, I highly recommend Taking Back Sunday.

Here are the links to some of my favorites:

"Liar (It Takes One to Know One)" from Louder Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6I25ByB7hE

"MakeDamnSure" from Louder Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ldjbjwim4k

"Swing" from New Again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UUlgGdLFs

"Sink into Me" from New Again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryWV7LsF-ps

"Miami" from Louder Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH7Ew853ciI

 "Twenty Twenty Surgery" from Louder Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t21itSm_QIM