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Eulogy for [Former WA Sec. of State] Lud Kramer by Ralph Munro
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Candidate
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| Contributor | Ralphie |
| Last Edited | Ralphie Jul 22, 2004 12:04pm |
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| Category | Obituary |
| News Date | Friday, April 16, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | This eulogy for A. Ludlow "Lud" Kramer (1932-2004) was given by Ralph Munro at Lud Kramer's memorial service at St. John's Cathedral in Spokane on April 16, 2004. Lud Kramer became the youngest Secretary of State in Washington history when elected in 1964 at age 32. A moderate Republican, he championed the rights of the poor and minorities and pushed for reforms in housing, prisons, and the electoral system. Lud Kramer died of lung cancer on April 9, 2004. Ralph Munro served as Washington Secretary of State from 1981 through 2001.
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. was dead. He had been gunned down on the balcony of a cheap hotel in Memphis Tennessee in April while trying to settle a garbage workers strike.
The popular and respected head of the Seattle Urban League, our friend Ed Pratt, answered his door in North Seattle and died in a hale of bullets on his own front porch.
Many of Americas East Coast cities were in flames and riots were a daily occurrence reported on the front pages of our papers.
In July we had some unusually hot weather. Seattle was "cooking" and so was the Central Area. Young blacks -- angry, disgusted and disillusioned -- were gathering nightly at the corner of 23rd and East Union. The air was thick with the threat of violence.
The situation was more than difficult. Young African American’s were angry and sought revenge. The Mayor and Police Chief hadn’t been very helpful in dealing with them and the burden seemed to be carried by Governor Dan Evans and his 37 year old Secretary of State, Lud Kramer. These two elected officials were breaking all the rules. Meeting with African American leadership, calling for new job programs, demanding that fire and police begin the programs to integrate the departments, appearing at Central Area churches for the Sunday night socials, setting up job centers and opening the community college system to young blacks.
The labor unions were furious. What right did LUD KRAMER have to |
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