HISTORIC VIOLENCE MAKE APRIL A BITTERSWEET MONTH

By Milton W. Hinton, Jr.

April, often appreciated as the month we fully transition into spring, can also be one of the most bittersweet months of the year.

Amongst all the earthly beauty and life awakening around us after a winter of muted sunshine and long nights, April can hit like a wave of cold sea water crashing down on us.

Although it has a perception of blossoming like a rose, it is often one hidden in a fisted glove, as historically April is a violent month. The Oklahoma City bombing, and the shootings at Columbine High School and Virginia Tech University were just a few April events.

Many years ago, I walked home one April afternoon after a day in school. On this particular day, the weather was excellent and I remember homework, dinner, and my parents watching the television news broadcast. After the evening news ended, I recall the announcer returning to the air with a “Special Report” informing that the “Negro leader” Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot and killed while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tenn.

One witness informed us that King was standing on his hotel balcony when “a bullet exploded in his face.” Little did I realize how this single event would impact the world.

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