From: spencer@ocsmd.ocs.com (Spencer Hines)
Subject: Re: Jack S Defends MLKing Slur (Was: ARF DEFENDS HIS HONOR)
Organization: Trilobyte McSystems, Int'l.
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 14:35:23 GMT

Jack Schmidling (arf@ddsw1.mcs.com) wrote:
: In article <1992Oct1.023319.2619@cs.brown.edu> dzk@cs.brown.edu (Danny Keren) writes:
: >What I am wondering is if there is some hidden agenda here. Even if
: >MLK *did* "sleep around", that doesn't make him a "bigot" and a
: >"dirty old man" as Jack Schmidling (ARF) called him. 
: 
: I am not sure why you keep avoinding the point that he is supposed to be
: a "man of god".  Most of the street signs with his name on it use the
: title "rev".  What do you need to see the hypocracy of saying the "rev"
: d
: Dr King slept around?
: 
: 
: 
: Hell, we have seen
: >Arfie lead a crusade for David Duke, who did far worse things than
: >"sleep around". Kindof makes you wonder why Arfie is willing to
: 
: Perhaps you would like to point out the "far worse things" Duke has 
: done.


People seem to have forgotten what King actually *did*.  He was not
a sort of generic black leader  who just went around inspiring people.

In his day, the south and to some degree the north was committed to
a legal system which regulated much of black life.  Many department
stores, lunch counters, restaurants, and so on were off limits to
blacks.  Libraries were generally closed to blacks.  Many other facilities
had separate entries and waiting rooms, such as bus depots and train
stations.  State colleges and universities would not admit blacks.
Voting was curtailed through a system specifically designed to make it
hard for blacks to register and vote.  Blacks literally had to sit on
the backs of buses, and yield their seats if asked for white customers.
Every town had many, many areas which prohibited blacks.

Where federal laws prohibited this separation (such as, I believe, in
interstate transportation) these laws were not inforced; indeed, they were
actively prevented from taking effect by local authorities.

King spent his life in a vigorous, relentless, and ultimately successful
effort to overthrow this legal system.  The sit-ins in off-limit lunch
counters, libraries, and bus stations were carefully thought challenges
to restrictions which forced action on the opposition.  The bus boycotts
were legal economic challenges to segregation.  He organized large numbers
of people and was able to pull off organized civil actions over long
periods of time, at great sacrifice to everyone involved, in the face
of implacable and often illegal opposition.  

He did this through a program of very actively waged nonviolence, which
required incredible training and organization.

It has been pointed out that in his personal life King did wrong.  This
may well be true.  I have done a little study, and many of our founding
fathers had personal weaknesses.  We do not honor them for what sins they
avoided;  we honor them because they expanded freedom in America.

King is a good representative of a great movement which greatly expanded
freedom in America.  If that isn't the greatest gift which anyone can
give to our country, what is?




Xref: sparky talk.politics.misc:48443 talk.abortion:39149