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"Dr Martin", a Song by Dennis Magnusen - In Honor of Martin Luther King Jr

Updated on July 9, 2014

In Honor of Martin Luther King Jr

My husband Dennis just posted his first YouTube of a song he wrote many years ago. He wrote it sometime after leaving Vietnam. It was a crazy time just rolling off the back of the 60's. Dennis had returned from serving in Vietnam, a war he decided after being there, that was not a war he could support. Our soldiers went through a lot serving in that war though and so it was not expected at all when Dennis returned to the US, when he saw the reception of soldiers coming home. As he got off the plane people were screaming and held signs protesting the soldiers getting off the plane. He was in shock as he was only coming home after a horrible experience of war. It made a mark on his life that would never leave, both emotionally and physically as Agent Orange would forever after be his reminder of that.

Yet.. Dennis believes in peaceful solutions and honored another man who felt the same way. That man was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr had a vision of peace and we as a human race still struggle to find peace and understanding for our fellow man and of life around us.

As the song by Dennis below requests:

"Dr Martin, light a torch for me"

There are several quotes below from Dr King that remind us to continue.. continue on. One quote that speaks to that idea is,

"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."

Each and every day we have a responsibility to do better and care more. Dr King also said,

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

-- Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, December 10, 1964

PEACE BE WITH YOU

~~**~~

TURN ON the MUSIC UTube BELOW ~It is the SONG that this lens is all about.

Dr Martin a Song by Dennis Magnusen

"Dr Martin", lyrics and music by Dennis Magnusen

DR. MARTIN

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Dr. Martin, I write you this song

I see some things I think you'd say going wrong

the sun is out, the sky is blue

but there's some things we've got to change to make it thru

the people they still gather around for a fight

they don't care whose blood, they don't care whose right

they just want to see the young boy die

they don't care the reason, they never ask why

(ch.) where's that dream you had, everyone was talkin' 'bout

where's that dream you had, it sounded just like mine

Dr. Martin my heart goes out to you

there's so much we've got left to do

the world ain't right and it's hard to see

Dr. Martin light a torch for me

(ch.) where's that dream you had, everyone was talkin' 'bout

where's that dream you had, it sounded just like mine

the world ain't right, and it's hard to see

Dr. Martin light a torch for me

~Dennis Magnusen

copyright 2011

AWARDED LENS OF THE DAY 1/16/12 Martin Luther King Jr Day THANK YOU!

AWARDED LENS OF THE DAY 1/16/12 Martin Luther King Jr Day THANK YOU!
AWARDED LENS OF THE DAY 1/16/12 Martin Luther King Jr Day THANK YOU!

Dennis as a little boy loved the guitar. He had music in his soul ...

Dennis as a little boy loved the guitar.  He had music in his soul ...
Dennis as a little boy loved the guitar. He had music in his soul ...

"Dr Martin....

light a torch for me" ~Dennis Magnusen

Martin Luther King Jr Quotes

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

-- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 16 April 1963

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.

-- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

-- Strength to Love (1963)

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land . . . So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man.

-- "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, April 3, 1968 (the day before his assassination)

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

-- "I Have a Dream" speech, August 28, 1963

Martin Luther King, Jr. "Day" was January 16th this year

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, though the act predated the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by fifteen years.Martin Luther King, Jr. "Day" will be January 21,2013 next holiday.

I Have a Dream

Dennis singing with his band in Kauai,HI ~CHECK OUT THE ORBS!

On this night I tool a lot of pics of Dennis playing with his band in Kauai, Hawaii. After seeing the pics a friend pointed out all the orbs around Denny (Dennis) It really was an amazing night.

Orbs Around Dennis

Orbs Around Dennis
Orbs Around Dennis

What Are Orbs You Say?

What are orbs? Chances are, you've probably seen them before--they are the curious translucent or solid circles (usually white) that appear unexpectedly in your photos. Orbs may appear in different sizes, as a single spot or as a multitude of spots grouped together.

Some people believe that orbs are a lot more than moisture or dust particles that happened when a photo was taken-many feel-they are proof of guardian angels that are indeed captured on camera. When spirit orbs or angel orbs appear near a single person or a group of people in a photo, may feel it is a sign that they are blessed with the goodness, positive energy, and protection of angels.

About Orbs

Celestial orb, a central concept in ancient and early-modern astronomy.

"Denny" and a bit about me

Pictured directly ABOVE is a detail of one of my paintings of Dennis Magnusen. I am an artist you see.. and of course you can see, if you want to check out any of my other lenses. I paint and sculpt and write a lot of poetry. Denny was my high school sweetheart. We reunited after a separation of almost 30 years. We are writing a book about it all as it is quite the story. Denny taught school for 18 years. He taught in gang zones and helped raise kids grades as well as their self esteem. He was forced to quit due to Agent Orange exposure while in Vietnam. It broke his heart.

"Dr. Martin, light a torch for me" ~Dennis Magnuen

"Mr Magnusen" 30x40x2 oil on canvas by Kathy Ostman-Magnusen

"Mr Magnusen" 30x40x2 oil on canvas by Kathy Ostman-Magnusen
"Mr Magnusen" 30x40x2 oil on canvas by Kathy Ostman-Magnusen

About the painting: It was part of the Schaefer Portrait Challenge & on tour in Hawaii for 9 months

The Narrative: "Mr. Magnusen", 30x40x2 oil on canvas, by Kathy Ostman-Magnusen

"Mr. Magnusen", 30x40x2 oil on canvas, by Kathy Ostman-Magnusen has been on tour in Hawaii as part of the "Schaefer Portrait Challenge", a statewide juried art exhibition that included 56 explorations in portraiture. The exhibition included the "Schaefer International Gallery", Maui Arts & Cultural Center,Maui, Hawaii, Jan. 06 - Feb. 22,2009 and "The Contemporary Museum", First Hawaiian Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 29 - Sept. 08, 2009.

Artist's Statement:

"Mr. Magnusen", the subject of my painting, shares many of my same memories. We grew up not far from one another In S. California and later attended the same high school. It was in high school that I fell in love with Dennis G Magnusen. That love storywas put on hold for some 30 years.

In 1967 Dennis was drafted by the US Army, and subsequently went to Vietnam in 1968. Circumstances and follies of youth would cause us to follow separate paths.

While in Vietnam Dennis was strongly affected by the children he saw there. "Children were never meant to experience war", he told me years later. He decided that he wanted to do his part to change the world. "Real change in any society begins with the children," was Dennis' mantra, so he became a teacher. He worked with gang zone high school kids in the evenings and intermediate students in the afternoon. Grades of F's and D's were bought up to A's and B's. Mr. Magnusen reached beyond his own expectations, leading kids to an understanding of their own worth, thus opening doors to their potential futures. He created a surf club and got the community to help. He was often featured on local TV and newspapers as someone who was making a difference in children's lives. Dennis also became a Mentor teacher, lending help to other educators. Being somewhat of a rebel he advised fellow teaches of ideas that reached beyond standard textbook techniques.

Sadly the ghost of Vietnam took away Mr. Magnusen's strength in the form of Peripheral Neuropathy, caused by Agent Orange. By 1990he was too ill to continue his beloved teaching career. It broke his heart. Seeking rest, relief from stress, needing a special place to deal with the physical pain that comes with Small Nerve Fiber Neuropathy, he relocated to Hawaii. Hawaii has been his solace and a cool breeze when memories of who he once was for kids becomes faint.

About three months ago "Mr. Magnusen" was contacted by a former student. Amy had been looking for him for eighteen years. She had heard he had died from Agent Orange complications, but still hoped that she would find him. You see, Amy became a teacher and she wanted to find Mr. Magnusen to tell him how much he had affected her life.While working on her Masters in Literature, Amy wrote a paper describing the most influential person in her life. That person was Mr. Magnusen.Amy called to tell Mr. Magnusen that she wanted to make a difference in this world too.For a teacher there can be no greater reward.

As for me? I found Dennis once again after 30 years, through a miracle of circumstance, but that I guess is another story.

~~*~~

Kathy Ostman-Magnusenis a figurative artist represented by Monkdogz Urban Art in New York. Her work is collected worldwide. Kathy and Dennis Magnusen now reside in S.California.

"Mr. Magnusen" at Maui Cultural Center, Maui, HI

"Mr. Magnusen" at Maui Cultural Center, Maui, HI
"Mr. Magnusen" at Maui Cultural Center, Maui, HI

We Shall Overcome

More MLK Quotes

I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for the law.

-- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

-- Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 13, 1962

A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan.

-- Strength to Love (1963)

We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive.

-- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

-- Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, December 10, 1964

Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.

-- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

We were here before the mighty words of the Declaration of Independence were etched across the pages of history. Our forebears labored without wages. They made cotton 'king'. And yet out of a bottomless vitality, they continued to thrive and develop. If the cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. . . . Because the goal of America is freedom, abused and scorned tho' we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny.

-- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.

-- "Where do we go from here?" speech, August 16, 1967

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

-- "I Have a Dream" speech, August 28, 1963

~~*~~

Martin Luther King Memorial

The Martin Luther King Memorial is the first in Washington DC to honor a man of hope, peace and color. Built on a four-acre plot on the north east corner of the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial and the FDR Memorial. It is a 30 foot sculpture.

Martin Luther King Memorial

Martin Luther King Memorial
Martin Luther King Memorial

How about taking 3 simple polls? Yay and thank you!

Poll 1 of 3

Do you think Martin Luther King Jr would say we've come a long way? IN WHAT DIRECTION?

See results

Poll 2 of 3

Where's that dream YOU had?

See results

Poll 3 of 3

Will there always be war?

See results

Thank you Dr King RIP

Thank you Dr King RIP
Thank you Dr King RIP

Bloody Sunday 1965

Bloody Sunday

Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday

Bloody Sunday - A Statement by President Obama

The President's statement:

Today, we mark the 47th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, where hundreds of courageous men and women risked their lives in the name of equality.

Those brave marchers knew the danger that awaited them on the other side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge but they pressed on, stepping into history as they challenged the nation's conscience.

Today, we remember their courage in the face of danger and the spirit of perseverance that helped lead to iconic legislation like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. We also recommit ourselves to their struggle and to the idea that we should always seek a more perfect union.

Bloody Sunday

From Wikipedia:

The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League (DCVL). In 1963, the DCVL and organizers from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) began voter-registration work. When white resistance to Black voter registration proved intractable, the DCVL requested the assistance of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who brought many prominent civil rights and civic leaders to support voting rights.

The first march took place on March 7, 1965 - "Bloody Sunday" - when 600 civil rights marchers were attacked by state and local police with billy clubs and tear gas.

~~*~~

DID YOU LIKE DENNY'S SONG? LET ME KNOW YOU STOPPED BY .. SAY HI!

Let me know what you think of Dennis Magnusen's song.. I'll pass it on to him. I know where he lives.. lol THANK YOU!!

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