I'm of the age where I now know that anyone who uses the phrase "Dr. King would have..." is usually about to frame this legendary icon's quotes or phrases to fit their own limited viewpoint. But I in turn remember the words of Abraham Lincoln, "don't believe everything you see on the internet."
It is tiring to hear Dr. King's quotes used by people who don't understand them. Weirdly, these aren't ancient quotes or words spoken where we have no context, they were spoken with the lifetime of a good number of us. Had he lived he would be the same age as Barbra Walters, a founding member and still frequent guest on the morning talk show The View. It is in many ways sobering to realize that Dr. King's contemporaries still walk among us. Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, former aides, etc. In real terms, change only just happened. His personal secretary who is still with us and has many wonderful stories about the actual put your pants on one leg at a time man, not the myth. I understand Dr. King had a great sense of humor. I also understand that the man was as sharp as they come with a cue stick in his hand.
And while he was a Republican in his politics, the party that he was a member of isn't even a ghost of its former self. Those people who were called Republican in Dr. King's time would be considered middle of road Democrats now. So when I hear men who would have personally egged on Hoover's plans to discredit this civil rights icon try to manipulate his legacy for their own ends simply because they share the name of Republican, I am appalled.
Once again history rises up, and beckons our call. Last time men like Malcolm and Martin answered. Who will it be this time?
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| Reddit - by bigtomisin |
It is tiring to hear Dr. King's quotes used by people who don't understand them. Weirdly, these aren't ancient quotes or words spoken where we have no context, they were spoken with the lifetime of a good number of us. Had he lived he would be the same age as Barbra Walters, a founding member and still frequent guest on the morning talk show The View. It is in many ways sobering to realize that Dr. King's contemporaries still walk among us. Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, former aides, etc. In real terms, change only just happened. His personal secretary who is still with us and has many wonderful stories about the actual put your pants on one leg at a time man, not the myth. I understand Dr. King had a great sense of humor. I also understand that the man was as sharp as they come with a cue stick in his hand.
And while he was a Republican in his politics, the party that he was a member of isn't even a ghost of its former self. Those people who were called Republican in Dr. King's time would be considered middle of road Democrats now. So when I hear men who would have personally egged on Hoover's plans to discredit this civil rights icon try to manipulate his legacy for their own ends simply because they share the name of Republican, I am appalled.
Once again history rises up, and beckons our call. Last time men like Malcolm and Martin answered. Who will it be this time?
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