If you're not inclined to add to the crowd count, you can stay home and honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke it on this day many years ago, by listening to his speech.
XE thanks Charles Blow in today's NY Times for this great idea. Blow writes,
I’ve come to the conclusion that anger is the wrong reaction to Beck’s rally in Washington. Anger provides too low a return on investment. It consumes a tremendous amount of energy, but yields little progress. Instead, we should each take this opportunity to listen to the “I Have a Dream” speech once more, paying particular attention to how the echoes of yesterday’s struggles reverberate in our present struggles, and to recommit ourselves to the nobility of righteous pursuits.
We should use Glenn’s nightmare to reconnect with Martin’s dream.[If the above link doesn't work, here's the video:
Thank you very much for posting this. I was reminded of the anniversary very early this morning when I was listening to the BBC (their 5.30am news round up finishes with a recap on what happened on this day in history) and tonight's headlines have mentioned the Beck rally.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone could do better than listen to the full speech you have here linked to, and then contrast it with the current sqawker on the Mall.
You're most welcome....The event on the Mall was very strange. The Teabaggers claim a biggish crowd, but they're not admitting that some of it was the counter-rally featuring Al Sharpton as speaker. The Teabag rally was the usual dreary collection of old white guys.
ReplyDeleteThanks. This was so heartening. Red meat for starving souls. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteCat
Sounds like a good idea to me. I'm not expending much energy feeling anger at some of these groups. I do feel concern for the thinking processes of those that get sucked in by them.
ReplyDeleteSorry to you and Charles Blow but I think it is important to be angry about what is happening to this country.
ReplyDeleteAnd where is the "fair and balanced" on the coverage. I honor MLK every day I wear my NO WAR patch and bitch and moan about the low colorness of my adopted new city.
Thanks for the space, m.e.
I agree. I do think that it (the recent right wing desecration of the Lincoln Memorial) is cause for concern and that the leadership--those attention whores who use fear to keep themselves in the public eye--are cause for outright anger. Beck should be painting his face, honking a horn, and doing pratfalls. Palin should be dancing in a barn or against a pole. Something in our civil life has propelled them forward. So we have to be angry with ourselves as well as them.
ReplyDeleteCat
When I worked at the immigrant-serving agency, every year on the anniversary of the speech they would play it on videotape for the English Language Classes. It was incredibly moving to sit in the midst of a large group of people from every corner of the globe - many watching this for the first time - I saw many people in tears each year.
ReplyDeleteThat speech belongs to history. Nobody has the right to lay claim to it, and anyone who does is showing themselves a fool.
ronnie
ronnie: right you are!!!!
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