The Associated Press reported Saturday that a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond was vandalized. The words &uot;Happy Birthday, MLK&uot; were painted on it.

The late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would not have been flattered.

If anything, he most likely would have shook his head in dismay that there are still people who refuse to respect the rights and property of other races or religions.

Which is all the more reason that people, white, black, red, or yellow, need to study the philosophies of other cultures in order to better get along with each other and themselves.

Otherwise all that Plato, Aristotle, Lao-Tzu, Confuscious, Jesus, Buddha, Ghandi, and Dr. King said was just wasted breath and time on this earth.

Shame on the vandals. Such people are among the reasons why celebrations take place to commemorate the life of Dr. King. Remember that the Suffolk service takes place at 11 a.m. Monday in Nansemond River High School.