Since his assassination 40 years ago today, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s stature has grown and his message has gone mainstream, our editorial today notes. His words have inspired people of all races and religions and backgrounds, serving as beacons of liberty, economic justice and racial harmony. So accepted and revered is the man that the full measure of his views — especially against senseless, unjust wars and against his country, as he judged it to deserve criticism — has been subject to sanitation and selective memory.
This anniversary of a national tragedy finds progress that would make King proud, but also much work left to do. We can best mark it by not only admiring the man but also by speaking out, stepping up and coming together to realize his imagined America.
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How do you measure this “work to do”?
“The day before the fearless 39-year-old pastor was felled by the very hate he had marched and preached against, King had spoken in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, sharing his sense that “something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today… the cry is always the same –’We want to be free.’ ”
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When do you hear Democrats talking about Freedom?
All you hear from the Dems is talk of more Socialist programs - giveaways to keep people enslaved to Government.
Did MLK call for Social Enslavement by Government?
“All you hear from the Dems is talk of more Socialist programs - giveaways to keep people enslaved to Government.”
Who is enslaved by government? Are these evil socialist libraries, socialist police departments, socialist fire departments somehow enslaving people?
The only people I know are those who are enslaved with debt from huge medical or student loan bills resulting from capitalism.
Yes, work to be done.
Start with Obama’s preacher and anyone like him in the pulpits.
“How do you measure this “work to do”?”
By listening to the Isley Brothers sing it!
Yeah, poor college kids and poor doctors enslaved by student loans.
Right, I mean Wright!
G D*mn America! More work to do yet!
The Government tells the poor they CAN’T do anything for themselves. The Government is enslaving the poor with incentives to NOT work:
Public Housing/Hud Sec 8 Money - Keeps the poor from earning too much money or they lose their free government housing money.
Food Stamps - Keeps the poor from earning too much money or they lose their free government food.
Heating Assistance - Keeps the poor from earning too much money or they lose their free government heat. (And Government keeps contributing to Global Warming!)
Medicaid/SCHIPS - Free/low cost healthcare for the poor.
UnEarned Income Credit - Keeps the poor from earning too much money or they lose their free government cash.
Police, Fire protection, Public Highways, benefit ALL AMERICANS equally. Public Safety and Transportation networks are a central role for Government.
Socialist programs benefit a few, at the expense of others. And the Socialist programs force the poor to be dependent on Government forever.
Oh Max, go take a nap. You’re safe, the dreaded socialists aren’t going to take over the country when you quit watching.
They already have Dennis.
The top 50% pay 97% of the income tax. How much more do you want?
I was waiting for those who know History to answer this question from above:
Did MLK call for Social Enslavement by Government?
The answer is Yes. MLK was a Socialist.
More Socialism from MLK. Doesn’t this sound like Obama? Scary.
http://www.progress.org/dividend/cdking.html
Negroes, who have a double disability, will have a greater effect on discrimination when they have the additional weapon of cash to use in their struggle.
Beyond these advantages, a host of positive psychological changes inevitably will result from widespread economic security. The dignity of the individual will flourish when the decisions concerning his life and in his own hands, when he has the assurance that his income is stable and certain, and when he know that he has the means to seek self-improvement. Personal conflicts between husband, wife and children will diminish when the unjust measurement of human worth on a scale of dollars is eliminated.
Two conditions are indispensable if we are to ensure that the guaranteed income operates as a consistently progressive measure.
First, it must be pegged to the median income of society, not the lowest levels of income. To guarantee an income at the floor would simply perpetuate welfare standards and freeze into the society poverty conditions.
Second, the guaranteed income must be dynamic; it must automatically increase as the total social income grows. Were it permitted to remain static under growth conditions, the recipients would suffer a relative decline. If periodic reviews disclose that the whole national income has risen, then the guaranteed income would hgave to be adjusted upward by the same percentage. Without these safeguards a creeping retrogression would occur, nullifying the gains of security and stability.
This proposal is not a “civil rights” program, in the sense that that term is currently used. The program would benefit all the poor, including the two-thirds of them who are white. I hope that both Negro and white will act in coalition to effect this change, because their combined strength will be necessary to overcome the fierce opposition we must realistically anticipate.
THE KEY TO OBAMA’S STRATEGY - Promise Socialism (free stuff), Hope, and Change to the Bottom 50% (black & white) to BUY their votes, with taxpayer dollars from working people!
Obama just plagiarised MLK. If we weren’t in Iraq, we could give more free Government money away!
http://www.mlkonline.net/quotes.html
If we weren’t fighting the Vietnam war, there would be more money for Welfare! HOPE!
The bombs in Vietnam explode at home; they destroy the hopes and possibilities for a decent America.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching
spiritual death.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.
Max,
Do you have the capacity to see the good in anybody? Or are you just another neo-con driven by your supplication of bush? Never mind answering: just keep them kneepads handy.
I doubt you have the capacity to look at King’s speech in light of the times it was given. Very different from today. Well, except for the few cons who still think, “Them good ol’ days” sure was better.”
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching
spiritual death.”
That is the truth: When a countries government feels the necessity to kill people overcomes the responsibility to help them, it is morally bankrupt.
When the Government takes money from you, you are a slave for the Government.
The more money the Government takes, the more you become the Governments slave.
http://www.mlkonline.net/quotes.html
No HOPE!
To be a Negro in America is to hope against hope.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.
CHANGE!
Nonviolent action, the Negro saw, was the way to supplement, not replace, the progress of change. It was the way to divest himself of passivity without arraying himself in vindictive force.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Why We Can’t Wait, 1964.
I agree the times of MLK were very different then today.
HOWEVER, the speeches and promises of Socialist Hope and Change from Obama, are VERY close to the speeches MLK made 40 and 50 years ago.
Obama is simply buying votes with taxpayer dollars.
Obama does have a more black supremicist view then MLK could dare have in the 1960’s.
Black Power! God D*mn America!
And no, I don’t wear Rose Colored Glasses for anybody.
When I argue for more cold hard cash that I earned to stay in my pocket, y’all lable me a neo-con.
When MLK argued for more cold hard cash to be given to the blacks who did NOT earn the money, you all jump up and down praising MLK for caring so much, for bringing so much hope, and so much change.
We both argue for the same thing: More Money. The difference is, I argue to keep the money that I earn. YOU argue to take the money that I earn.
Socialism - legalized stealing.
As long as we have millions of people in America who are willing to live off the sweat of others, taking money earned by others who worked for it, America will be divided.
And you Socialists cannot survive WITHOUT a divided America. Should we all become Socialists, there would be no one left to do the work.
That’s progress y’all can keep pretending to be working for - while you actually WANT Zero progress to be made. If progress was made, y’all would have to work for a living.
Seems to me MLK was speaking about equal opportuntiy for education and jobs…not expanding welfare programs. How much of your hard earned money are you gettin to keep after taxes, Max?
Seems to me I’m paying in more than ever since the Republicans have been in the White House the last 8 yrs. How’s that national debt doing?
Seems to me your rhetoric against African Americans illustrates how racist you are.
Thanks to Americans like MLK, our country is a much better place than it was 40 years ago.
I’m so glad people who think like you are the minority today, otherwise African Americans would still be sitting in the back of the bus.
Amazes me how one can skew the ideology of providing equal opportunity for Americans to succeed in this country as a socialist philosophy.
Pathetic.
Cold hard cash and guaranteed income at the median income level - see the quote above from MLK.
Giving away cold hard cash isn’t welfare?
Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore!
Mary, if you are paying more taxes, then you are making more income. Congratulations!
Under the Bush tax cut, everyone who 1)Earned Income AND 2)Paid Taxes, got a tax cut.
You Socialist’s complain about tax cuts for the rich because the poor who don’t pay any taxes, didn’t get their taxes cut. How much less then ZERO tax can you pay?
Actually, the poor did get tax cuts from the $1,000 Child Credit. Poor folk can get back more $$$ then they pay in with all the Credits and Unearned Income Credits they got from Bush!
I work with many African Americans who are educated, professional, and have well paying careers. Doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, the list goes on and on.
You must not get out much, Max.
No, Providing Equal OPPORTUNITY is NOT THE SAME THING as Providing Equal OUTCOMES!
MLK - Look at the quotes above, was advocating cash payments to GUARANTEE MEDIAN INCOME to all people!
That’s not equal opportunity. That’s equal outcome.
Karl Marx and MLK agreed on Socialism.
God Da*m America!
Without the vision and effort of MLK and others like him, many minorities wouldn’t have had the opportunity to succeed and accomplish their goals.
Mary Caruso
Posted April 4, 2008 at 4:29 pm | Permalink
I work with many African Americans who are educated, professional, and have well paying careers. Doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, the list goes on and on.
You must not get out much, Max.
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Actually I do get out much. A man from Kenya works for me. He escaped poor conditions in his home country and came to America for a better OPPORTUNITY. He works very hard, and I have promoted him twice in 3 years. He makes roughly $50,000/yr including his bonus.
And I never said all black Americans are poor - must be your thoughts Mary.
Max, your friction produces heat but no light.
Oh their goals of complete Socialism are not fully accomplished yet.
But Obama will establish his kingdom on Earth and finish the plan.
Come down out of your ivory tower, Max….the view up there is pretty narrow.
BTW, my property taxes have risen every year, the cost of living is more than it has ever been for all of us, and jobs are fast disappearing over seas..and I’m supposed to be grateful to the Republicans? What have they done to turn anything around?
Oh, enlighten us oh great one sursum!
Mary, property taxes are assessed by the State and Local representatives.
NAFTA Was pushed forward by Clinton in the 90s, you don’t blame him as well?
The Congress, who holds the purse strings of the Nation is now in the majority of the Democratic Party.
Oh your property taxes are going up too!
You Democrats love high taxes! Obama and Clinton are BOTH promising higher taxes!
Quit complaining Mary, you are getting EXACTLY what you want!
And if your taxes are going up, your home value must be going up! Congratulations again! Higher income and more Equity! How is that the Republicans fault?
“Obama does have a more black supremicist view then MLK could dare have in the 1960’s.
Black Power! God D*mn America!”
“Obama does have a more black supremicist view then MLK could dare have in the 1960’s.
Black Power! God D*mn America!”
“When MLK argued for more cold hard cash to be given to the blacks who did NOT earn the money, you all jump up and down praising MLK for caring so much, for bringing so much hope, and so much change.”
I think your words speak speak for themselves.
Enough nonesense.
You Libs keep trying to hide your Socialist agenda. Even going so far as to lie about MLK and his Socialist plan.
I tire of your stupidity and greed.
Carry on and have a great lib love fest this evening.
My words are accurate descriptions of Obama, his views, and the views of his church of 20 years.
Try again.
If you think our life is better today after 8 yrs of republican leadership…you need to take the blinders off.
NAFTA was Clinton’s fault…what has Bush done to change anything? What has Bush done to create the kind of jobs that people can actually support their families with?
Just because my property taxes have gone up, that doesn’t mean the market value of my home has increased…in fact housing values are sinking fast everywhere.
They raise taxes knowing that most homeowners won’t protest it in order to make more money, it has nothing to do with property values.
Just like private insurers rountinely deny claims knowing that only 25% of claimants won’t fight for the benefits they have coming to them, which really increases their bottom line. Drug companies make billions in profits by overcharging for medications that many people can’t live without.
American are getting screwed more and more everyday by the government and big corporations who have politicians in their pockets. And right wingers love it, after all it’s the “American way”. It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.
Typical of Moanin’ Max…he takes off when he’s losing the debate. Probably went outside to hang his confederate flag on his front porch.
Mary,
Any how many debates on Guns have you taken off from? All of them.
If one wishes to read any evidence of anti-intellectualism in this country, all one has to do is read any post by Max. There is a throwback to the Jim Crow days, and a disgrace to the people of this country MLK died for.
New sting You-Tube video is available showing Planned Parenthood in Ohio, New Mexico, and Oklahoma accepting phoned-in donations for the expressed purpose of killing black babies, to reduce the black population.
See news page
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/04/02/more-racist-planned-parenthood-clinics-exposed/
- - -
Obamanation, in promoting the audacity of quackery, vowing to make legal again the partial-birth abortions and live-birth abortions in Planned Parenthood abortion mills where one third of the dead babies tossed out are black, is the Judas goat of the black race.
To borrow from KFG, Jesus wept.
God the Father, the Son, and the Holy $$$?
And Parkay joins in to give us the opinion of the single minded nutters.
I love Mary’s defense of MLK and his Socialist goal - attack Bush!
LOL!
Jeez, Max, you’re setting some sort of new record - NO ONE criticizes Dr. King but those on the furthest fringes of the far right wing - out there with David Duke, Strom Thurmond and Michael Savage.
Congratulations - you’ve officially hit bottom - they say that is the first step.
After a month or so of rehab, you’ll be ready to join the rest of society.
I post MLK’s words of Socialism, and the Radical Leftists here criticize ME!
Enlighten us Clark on the Socialist views of MLK and how great they were.
Median income for everybody, even if you don’t work! Ain’t that great!
Hold out your hands libs, and continue to repeat:
GIMME!
GIMME!
GIMME!
Oh, and for the record, I was not criticizing MLK for his civil rights work in gaining equal opportunities for blacks.
His passive resistence approach was admirable and effective.
I was criticisizing MLK for his SOCIALIST views.
Karl Marx and MLK were wrong in their Socialist views, and Obama and Clinton are both taking that approach today - to buy the votes of the bottom 50% who think that Government will give them more money by taking money away from the top 50%.
That is not unifying America. That is dividing it. That is encouraging the bottom 50% to work less, and will lead the top 50% to work less too.
When no one works in America, the lights will be turned out. Should make the Global Warming people very happy.
“That is not unifying America. That is dividing it.”
And your man, George WMD Bush has divided this country more than any man in history. We are even more divided now then we were during impeachment.
Yet, the right wing and the Republicans seem PROUD that they have divided the country and seem intent on continuing that division with McCain.
The Republicans cannot govern without division, hatred, partisanship and old fashioned ugliness.
And they are god damned proud of that.
They hate any American that does not agree with them.
“and will lead the top 50% to work less too.”
THEY already do not work there “maxjames”
They make their money on the backs of others. Or get it free like you.
I am all for the upper class getting off the throat of those they exploit so that the poor can have a chance. What happens to to that upper class?
I really do not care. My best advice would be that they should flee far away. I hope they do.
More Liberal propaganda from Clark/JR twins.
They can’t defend MLK and his Socialist position without:
1. Attacking Bush.
2. Attacking hard working conservatives.
While they continue to hold their hands out and chant:
Gimme
Gimme
Gimme
“Mary,
Any how many debates on Guns have you taken off from? All of them.”
That’s not true Nathan…but it gets boring repeating myself for hours to try and get any realistic thought through your thick head. I might as well beat my head against a wall..you never let the facts get in the way of your off base opinions. The one thing I can say about you is that you’re consistant.
BTW, I’m getting my CC license as a joke.
“Oh, and for the record, I was not criticizing MLK for his civil rights work in gaining equal opportunities for blacks.His passive resistence approach was admirable and effective.”
HA! What’s that Max?..You back tracking now!?! LOL!
As it stands, we’re becoming slaves to the corporate greed that has swallowed this country with the blessings of the leaders whose hands are in the pockets of the corporations.
So what do you have to say to me, Max? I guess by your definition I’m a hard working liberal.
I see lazy ass conservatives with their hands out all the time….it’s OK for them to get government handouts, but anyone else who does is a loser in their eyes.
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