The vote is in ...

[1StrongBlackMan]

being the democratic guy that I am, I consulted 10 wise, trusted, and respected DUers, on whether to engage the latest, "MLK would just love Bernie (and hate HRC) ... and here's a Black woman saying so" piece. (The same OP was posted twice)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511009567

{Note to Host: This post is unrelated to the Democratic Primaries, it just happens to have come to a head during Primary season}

Well, after much consideration of the feedback ... and after shaking off the effects of watching Kevin Hart and Ice Cube's Ride Along 2 (recommended if one finds themselves with 2 hours to kill with mindless humor), here it is:

How I wish people, whether Bernie supporters, or HRC supporters, Black or white, would leave the Rev. Dr. King, Jr., out of the primaries discussion, as I am pretty sure that he would have harsh words for both candidates (and their supporters) ... and would use the Letter from a Birmingham Jail('s),"luke warm" language, to do so.

Yes ... Dr. King would, no doubt, talk about the Crime Bill; specifically, Bill Clinton's signing the Crime Bills that ramped up mass incarceration of Black folks and Bill's welfare "reform", that has had a devastating effect in a racialized America. But, if Dr. King was into partisan primary politics, the evidence of his legacy indicates that he would approach these issues with an intellectual honesty, that is, all but, absent in this, and these types of "MLK 's legacy is instructive", piece(s). Specifically, I doubt he would raise these issues, without noting Bernie voted FOR the Crime Bill (for whatever reason); and, I, further, doubt that he wouldn't note that Bill isn't Hillary.

Furthermore, while Letter from a Birmingham Jail was directed at white "moderates", his legacy indicates equally condemnatory words for progressives (liberals, at the time) that, in their apparent fundamental misunderstanding/deliberate reinterpretation of Dr. King's legacy (words), are (were) "lukewarm" on racial justice (his true legacy) ... while twisting themselves in knots to have "economic justice as/is racial justice", and arguing, "we can, and should have, both" ... while focusing their language, attention, and anger, solely, on economic justice ... except, of course, when someone, or circumstance, forces them to pause and mouth the words, "racial justice".

So please, DU ... Please resist the urge/compulsion to use the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a partisan primary football; seeing the "other side" in his critique ... You will be wrong, every time ... He was talking about you, too.

[brer cat]

1. Thank you for this post.

K&R

[Depaysement]

2. This

"How I wish people, whether Bernie supporters, or HRC supporters, Black or white, would leave the Rev. Dr. King, Jr., out of the primaries discussion . . . "

[virtualobserver]

3. the one word that you would never associate with Bernie is lukewarm.....Hillary, absolutely lukewarm

It describes her perfectly.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. That is your opinion ... and an opinion that ...

unsurprisingly, proves/ignores the point of the OP.

Clearly, some just help themselves.


Thanks for the kick.

[virtualobserver]

5. the op is your opinion....and an opinion that ....

unsurprisingly, proves the real point of the OP, projecting your fierce anti-Bernie sentiment.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Okay. Thanks for the kick.. eom