Glenn Beck Wants To Steal Martin Luther King Jr.: We Won’t Let Him
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Some important must read/must share stuff today:
Martin Luther King would have been on Glenn Beck’s chalkboard
Beck’s discussions of the rally’s supposedly crucial role in American history have included frequent invocations of the civil rights movement, and Martin Luther King Jr. in particular. According to Beck, the rally will “reclaim the civil rights movement” because “Martin Luther King’s dream” has “been distorted” and “massively perverted” by progressives. In attacking the people he claims are “perverting” King’s legacy (i.e. progressives), Beck has suggested that he and his followers are the “inheritors and the protectors of the civil rights movement.” In Beck’s words, they will “take that movement, because we were the people that did it in the first place.”Beck is completely rewriting history.
King forcefully advocated for drastic action by the federal government to combat poverty; supported “social justice”; called for an “economic bill of rights” that would “guarantee a job to all people who want to work”; and stated that we must address whether we need to “restructure the whole of American society” — all ideas that Beck has vilified.
Would Beck have supported King’s March on Washington?
Beck defines “social justice” as “the same thing” as “economic justice,” “taking money from one group and giving it to another.”
Beck has since claimed that his rally this Saturday — scheduled at the same location and on the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington — will “reclaim the civil rights movement.”
The full name of the rally at which Dr. King delivered his historic speech was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Its leaders numbered not only civil rights leaders, but labor leaders as well, including the president of what is now the UAW. And its reported rationale was to push back against “the twin evils of racism and economic deprivation,” recommending massive federal intervention in the economy to fight the latter.
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
Repeating the obvious philosophical differences is good. And so is spotlighting the motivations:
1. MLK risked and gave his life for his work.
2. GB has publicly stated that he’s only in it for the money.
Oh noes! More facts about how MLK, Jr would have fucking HATED Beck! Except for the fact that he had the strength to love his enemies! Because he was like, an actual Christian! Not the kind who hates people all the time!
Seriously, though, I don’t know how this is even a discussion. The man was smeared as a communist sympathizer during his own lifetime, and somehow Beck wants us to believe that he didn’t care about a broad sort of social justice, one that included equity of economic opportunity?
Soooooo, 50 years ago, the guy had to put up with the right misrepresenting him as a communist…
…and now the right is trying to misrepresent him as being anti-wealth-redistribution?
When are they going to stop beating up on this guy? Oh, right, never.
This is too funny. Anyone who thinks MLK Jr., if he were alive today, would stand side-by-side with today’s definition of “progressive” knows nothing about the man.
At least they know which Metro lines to avoid. Gosh, those Yellow and Green lines are scary with all those non-white people.
Glen Beck aligning himself and his belief $y$tem with that of Martin Luther King is like Glen Beck aligning himself and his belief $y$tem with that of Martin Luther King.
I can only pray that he appears in blackface, strumming a banjo and chomping on a watermelon.
And may Dr. King, from his sure perch in Heaven, look down at this with the contempt and ridicule it deserves.
Anyone who thinks MLK Jr., if he were alive today, would stand side-by-side with today’s definition of “progressive” knows nothing about the man.
Don’t stop there, since you seem to know more about Dr. King than his descendants do. Enlighten us on Reverend King’s innermost thoughts on, for example the war in Iraq, which “progressives” like myself opposed.
Do you think he supported tax cuts for the wealthy, offshoring of jobs, and deregulation of banks so rich people could gamble billions of dollars of other people’s money, keep their winnings and stick taxpayers with the losses? Progressives opposed those also.
Do you think Dr. King would stand up for the Second Amendment right to carry concealed weapons in church? Isn’t that on the “progressive” agenda?
Labor unions have been a force for progressive politics, including paid vacations, overtime, worker’s comp, workplace health and safety regulations, 40-hour work weeks, unemployment insurance and so on, none of which came easily in the face of often violent opposition. Do you suppose Dr. King would have sided with management against the workers?
Since you seem to have definitive expert status WRT Dr. King’s views, please, show us your cards.
Anyone who thinks MLK Jr., if he were alive today, would stand side-by-side with today’s definition of “progressive” knows nothing about the man.
That’s right, sparky. MLK would be hanging out with the teabaggers, demanding to see Obama’s birth certificate and yelling ‘death panels’, in between sitting on Hannity’s ‘Great’ Amurican paddle wondering why Democrats and liberals are siding with our enemies by wanting to respect the 1st Amendment.
I think the best depiction of “What if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today” scenario is the Boondocks episode Return of the King.
Burn, thank you for that. MLK deserves better than to have a madman like Glenn Beck distort his legacy for conspiratorial and financial benefit. It is unconscionable what Beck and Fox News are doing, sadly it comes as no surprise. They are the very same people who thought separate water fountains were a good idea.
Because black folks love ‘em some crazy teabagger, right?
MLK would be appalled and saddened by the likes of Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck needs to find a damn hole and bury himself.
nobody i mean nobody can steal mlk wether becks trying to or not the man was a prophet a ledgend a historical figure u cant steal something like that. u can follow or branch off of it but listen to what ur saying your just as dillusional as beck!….SERIOUSLY
Glenn Beck is such a drama queen, if Paul Lynde were alive, he’d look like the construction worker from the Village People next to Mr. Beck.
I like how Grey Ghost supported his assertion with facts and evidence and… oh wait, what?
I have far more respect for the wingnuts who hate King for having allegedly been a Marxist than for Glenn Beck in his idiotic claims.
Here’s what should happen:
WOL-AM should play MLK’s “I Have a Dream” at the time of the Beck rally. Then, several hundred people toting the biggest ghetto blasters available should converge on the site, tune to WOL, and crank those babies to the max.
Sad thing is, they just don’t make boomboxes like they used to.
Best we can do is send several thousand people, who understand Dr. King’s REAL motivations, over there and shout down the motherBeckers. Shout ‘em down until ol’ Glen has a crying fit. And if some of his people try to tangle with some of ours…
…Gotterdammerung.
Bruce, I wouldn’t call it ‘respect’, exactly, but at least they’re working from the facts. King was clearly, unquestionably interested in the practical aspects of social justice, which by their nature absolutely have an economic facet. He wasn’t a communist and he didn’t call for reparations, but he knew that simply equalizing the law didn’t equalize the situation on the ground.
I went back and reread some of Strength to Love last night — the one about the halls of history being littered with the wreckage of violent civilizations — and it’s really sickening, this whole thing. Like, you know all the stupid analogies in the mosque discussion about one movement desecrating something sacred? Well, a racist like Beck trying to make a dollar off of King’s image — that’s about as bad as it gets.
That man Beck looks so much like a Muppet! Made of that ugly “goldenrod” color of fake fleece.
Yesyes, I know, he makes me indignant too. But all the same, I can’t help thinking about Muppets when I see his picture.
The TRUTH is, that if MLK were alive today to read all the above comments, he would say that you all need GOD in your lives! Do you honestly believe that Glenn Beck is wants to steal MLK day?? I am truely baffeled as to your ignorance.
Thank God MLK is not here to read the hatred he so bravely marched for. I’m sure if MLK was here today, he would NOT want any of you marching beside him…
“I like how Grey Ghost supported his assertion with facts and evidence and… oh wait, what?”
Hey, all you had to do was ask. Start with the fact that Dr. King was a non-violent Christian (there is nothing “Christian” about today’s liberal, certainly not in our modern understanding of that term). I would also add that true Christianity isn’t necessarily about “rights” or “responsibility” but about a relationship with God and fellow human beings. Then too Dr. King’s own writings (start with “Strength of Love) make it clear that he was anti-abortion, had issues with both political parties (my guess is that if he were alive today he would’ve been an independent), believed in self-responsibility and as a Southern baptist minister there’s no way he would’ve supported homosexuality, much less gay marriage. Either way to claim ownership of Dr. King’s message from a political standpoint just defeats his legacy.
“(there is nothing “Christian” about today’s liberal, certainly not in our modern understanding of that term).”
Not in your understanding, maybe. I thought Frank’s “liberals can’t be patriotic” claim to be the most ridiculous thing I’d ever seen posted here, but what do you know?
Oh, the distorter of truth speaks out against Mr Grey Ghost. Mr Wills, you speak of using facts and evidence as though you could even recognize either. And talk about rewriting history, Mr Wills you are the great benefactor of Dr King being not with us. You can distort and twist his message to suit your needs and he cannot say anything in his defense.
I will agree he stood in the face of danger and said what needed to be said. He stood behind what he believed to be the right granted all men from the God that created us. He recognized that God grants rights; governments secure and protect those rights for its people.
You, sir, are not even brave enough to use your pen to strike a message of truth. You coward behind a screen of elitism powered by a feeling of self-righteousness and pontificate as though you are a warrior. You sir are a coward and as I quote from the movie script “A Few Good Men”, “You can’t handle the truth.” So stop with the “facts and evidence” rants against others.
(there is nothing “Christian” about today’s liberal, certainly not in our modern understanding of that term).
What the hell do I care? I’m Jewish.
as a Southern baptist minister there’s no way he would’ve supported homosexuality, much less gay marriage.
So being Christian automatically makes you irrationally hate homosexuals?
Then too Dr. King’s own writings (start with “Strength of Love) make it clear that he was anti-abortion,
So having an abortion or supporting it makes you incapable of love?
If Dr. King felt strongly about those issues, don’t you think he would’ve spoken about them while he was alive? I mean, do you honestly believe that abortion and homosexuals didn’t exist until the 70′s?
Man, you are such a tool.
That was AWESOME!!! A totally fact free rant in defense of a fact free rant!
And this mangled conglomeration:
is all bonus!
there is nothing “Christian” about today’s liberal, certainly not in our modern understanding of that term).
As an atheist, I congratulate you for recognizing liberal progress. There was a time when conservatives required kids to pray in schools, and some even want that back.
Of course, being a moral person and being a Christian are unrelated conditions.
would also add that true Christianity isn’t necessarily about “rights” or “responsibility” but about a relationship with God and fellow human beings.
In other words, has nothing to do with politics, e.g. “liberalism,”, but you will keep flogging it anyway?
as a Southern baptist minister there’s no way he would’ve supported homosexuality,
I suspect Dr. King was a lot smarter than you are giving him credit for. Your claim that his views would not have evolved along with the rest of society’s in the last 42 years is a futile display of egomania on your part. There are any number of modern clergy who accept gay and straight equally and are willing to bless all relationships, in your idealized “Christian” spirit of love for all. Your claim that Dr. King would not have joined them is baseless.
Retired Military,
Dude, that rant was badass! One can almost see the monocle drop when you begin your last paragraph.
I love a good campy rant. Here’s one of my personal faves. Enjoy.
“I hate this place, this zoo, this prison, this reality, whatever you want to call it. I can’t stand it any longer. It’s the smell, if there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it. I can taste your stink and every time I do, I fear that I’ve somehow been infected by it. It’s repulsive, isn’t it? I must get out of here!”
Ah… Good times. Keep up the good work!
How is that both sides claim to have the facts? Especially when those facts oppose each other. The only way for the truth be on both sides of this equation at the same time is for both to not be the complete truth. So where is the truth?
As for the “mangled conglomeration”, I should have proof read my remarks. My bad. “Coward” should have read, “cower”. It may have been better written. But it doesn’t change my feelings about Willis.
And just so you know, my eyesight is even worse. What you heard drop was my bifocals.