MLK: Letter from a Birmingham Jail - I thought of the Alito vote

[TayTay]

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negroe's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White citizens' "Councilor" or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direst action"; who paternistically feels that he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

http://www.africanamericans.com/MLKJrBirminghamJailLetter.htm

[AX10]

1. kick

:kick:

This is how I feel "a moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice"

[ProSense]

2. Excellent! Thanks for posting. n/t

[Proud2BaLiberalMom]

3. GREAT POST!

K&R:kick:

[journalist3072]

4. Here is the Martin Luther King quote that comes to mind for me

When I think of the Alito debacle:

"On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right."

And I think that this is exactly the issue that Sen. Kerry was trying to bring home for the Dems: this vote for Alito should not be a political decision. Their conscience should speak to them & be their guide.

[Blaukraut]

5. how fitting!

It rings true again today. Especially today.

[jenndar]

6. K&R n/t

[Coexist]

7. the complacency of the white moderate...

is hurting people's freedoms again.

[ClayZ]

8. .

:cry:

[autorank]

9. Why are you in there? Why are you out there?

It's time to generate some memories...collective amnesia is tedioius.

Kerry is our guy...let's support him 100%, hit the bricks.

Now here's the kicker. These Senator's can put a "hold" on a nominee. Don't know if their convoluted rules allow this at this point but WTF, whatever gets us through this nightmare.

KERRY ROCKS

[sandnsea]

10. Not so sure

I know they can blue slip a nominee in their own state. I think that someone on the judiciary committee can put a hold, not sure on that. But I'm fairly sure that not just any Senator can hold any nominee.

[autorank]

13. Well, it was 8-0 Dems against Alito. Why not.? When else would you?

[sandnsea]

14. Ya got me

I don't know why none of them blocked him. It's possible I'm not right about blocking something in committee. Or maybe they decided that really would be too political to do with a Supreme Court Justice. And it would. I was mostly saying I don't think there's any other procedures besides a filibuster at this point.

[sandnsea]

11. Thanks TayTay

Sometimes we really forget what others who have gone before have been through and that we really haven't suffered so much in comparison. I was reading about some of the miner's fights in the 1800's. Holy snikey, they didn't play games. So I still have hope, no matter how this vote turns out.

[bigjohn16]

12. K & R nt

[TheBaldyMan]

15. one of my favourite pieces of writing K&R'd n/t