This morning Huffington Post posted a picture including both Martin Luther King Jr and Barack Obama in similar poses.
It is an obvious and clumsy attempt to draw a comparison. Barack Obama is a white black (well, he’s not a white Hispanic) President who benefited from King’s pioneering, but really that’s about where it ends.
When King spoke, his words were like poetry. They were inspiring, uplifting and full of hope. Obama, not so much.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“They Bring a Knife…We Bring a Gun”
King:
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Obama:
“I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I’m angry!”
King:
“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Obama:
“Get in Their Faces!”
King:
“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Obama:
“Hit Back Twice As Hard”
King:
“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”
Obama:
“Don’t think we’re not keeping score brother.”
King:
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
Obama:
“Punish your enemies.”
King:
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
“…we are going to have just hand-to-hand combat up here on Capitol Hill.”
Martin Luther King Jr. did not dun those opposing him. He did not insult them personally. He did not impugn their motives. He tried to reach out to them with great eloquence and became one of history’s great leaders. It’s easy to forget how wondrous his words were and how well they were spoken. Just reading them takes you to a good place.
I cannot imagine King ever saying
“Rosa Parks wasn’t no ho, and Fannie Lou Hamer wasn’t no bitch.”
There’s a lesson there.
All MLK quotes courtesy Brainy Quote
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.