Can anyone point me in the direction of refuting MLK being a Republican? Another FB war

[LaydeeBug]

is upon me. Tomorrow is my birthday if it helps. Sadly, here is what was sent to me. (aside: I wish we had a war room where refuting these old links could be handy)

I tried snopes. No dice. Warning, this is a pdf file. :)


http://www.trustedpartner.com/docs/library/000143/NBRA%20Civil%20Rights%20Newsletter.pdf

Please help me for my sanity!! :hi:

I do have this, so you know I've done the college try, I just HATE wading into right wing territory. It makes me feel like I need a shower after.

on edit to add what the "this" is... MLK, Jr -- his autobiography -- his words:

"The Republican Party geared its appeal and program to racism, reaction, and extremism."

[villager]

1. His planned "Poor People's March on Washington?"

Class-based, not race-based. Before which, he was "coincidentally" assassinated...

[LynneSin]

2. Here are some thoughts

Remember it was Dixie Democrats that tried to block the Civil Rights movement of 1964 - this included 18 southern 'Dixie Democrats' that filibustered the bill for 50+ days. Mind you this group included 'democrats' such as Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms (both whom left the party after the bill was passed). Because these 'Dixicrats' were a part of the democratic party, you could pretty much say that it was the republicans that helped get the Civil Rights bill of 1964 pass. Ultimately it was about 65% of the democrats that supported the bill with 80% of the republicans supporting it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixiecrat
The States' Rights Democratic Party (commonly known as the Dixiecrats) was a shortlived segregationist, socially conservative political party in the United States. It originated as a breakaway faction of the Democratic Party in 1948, determined to protect what they portrayed as the Southern way of life beset by an oppressive federal government<1>, and supporters assumed control of the state Democratic parties in part or in full in several Southern states. The States' Rights Democratic Party opposed racial integration and wanted to retain Jim Crow laws and white supremacy. Members of the States' Rights Democratic Party were often called Dixiecrats. (The term Dixiecrat is a portmanteau of Dixie, referring to the Southern United States, and Democrat, referring to the Democratic Party.)

Because of the passage of the Civil Rights Bill - many of those Dixicrats either switched or started migrating to the republican party and is probably why the republican party today has such a strong hold on the region. But today's republican party was never one for the details. Technically it was democrats that filibustered the legisilation, they conviniently forget that 2 of those democrats switched to the republicans side because it doesn't make a 'happily every after republican style' story.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. Here's something...

From http://www.nndb.com/people/085/000028998/#FN1

It is almost certain that he broke whatever affiliation he had with the Republican Party, inherited via his father, who had gone so far as to endorse Richard M. Nixon. After the nomination of Barry Goldwater for the presidency, King wrote in his Autobiography, "The Republican Party geared its appeal and program to racism, reaction, and extremism. All people of good will viewed with alarm and concern the frenzied wedding at the Cow Palace of the KKK with the radical right. The best man at this ceremony was a senator whose voting record, philosophy, and program were anathema to all the hard-won achievements of the past decade." Photographs exist of King campaigning for LBJ in 1964.

[Cassandra]

4. Here, this might help.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/front-group-report-black-_b_30578.html

[Iggo]

5. Wasn't Lincoln a republican, too?

Sheesh...

[sea four]

6. MLK was basically a socialist.

Quote:

"True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."

[Winterblues]

13. Socialism involves more than compassion for your fellow man.

Socialism is the country owning every single business. It does not involve any form of Capitalism. I doubt if MLK ever believed anything like that.

[sea four]

15. What do you think he means when

he says "the edifice which produces beggars" needs restructuring? He's talking about capitalism there...

[Winterblues]

19. Could he possibly be talking about education?

I never once heard MLK suggest the government should take over operating every business in the country..

[KingFlorez]

16. That's not really true

That is the right-wing definition of socialism, which is closer to describing communism. Socialism is far reaches far less.

[villager]

21. uh, no, not "every single business" -- just basic resources

Democratic socialism allows for a mix of small business and societal resource allocation...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. And, followed the teachings and methods of an Anarchist.

One Mohandas K. Gandhi

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. I got into this on FB a couple years ago and here's what I found out

He has a niece who is a rabid right wing talibornagain. She's been active in the anti-choice movement for years. She is the one claiming he was a republican. His children have denied it.

His dad was a registered republican. Same name, only no 'Jr' at the end.

[Bluenorthwest]

10. Bernice is also a venomous anti gay crusader

and one of the most destructive people on our political scene.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Yes that's right

She's a real piece of work. Her uncle would be ashamed.

[Brickbat]

8. The day I see Republicans acting like King, I'll buy it.

Until then, not so much.

[arthritisR_US]

9. the Republicans of his day were NOT the Republicans of today. The Democrats

were the ones against equal rights and for segregation. After Johnson got the ERA into law dixiecrats left the Democrats and joined the Republicans in the south. So he may very well have had more Republican leanings of that day which would be considered Democratic ideologies of today.

[jmowreader]

11. MLK was a Republican like Lincoln and Roosevelt were Republicans

There is a world of difference between Republicans like John Boehner and Sarah Palin and Republicans like Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and even Richard Nixon.

One of these days I'm going to write a play where Teddy and Abe return from the grave and announce they're switching to the Democratic Party. It'll be like a press conference.

[KingFlorez]

14. I've never seen any proof of that

Somebody being a Republican over 40 to 50 years ago doesn't count for anything, because today they wouldn't have been a Republican. I get so sick of them trying to claim MLK, when they stand for nothing he believed in.

[LibertyLover]

17. I'm reading Wingnuts right now and the author points out that

pretty much up until the 1960s, many African-Americans were indeed Republican because it had been the party of Lincoln and freedom. It was actually the Democratic party that was identified with negative policies towards minorities. If MLK had not been Republican, at least in his early years, I would be slightly surprised. However, as an earlier poster pointed out, the Republicans then were not at all like the Republicans are now, and the same of course goes for the Democratic partly. I don't know if that helps or not.

[EFerrari]

18. The two parties of that time can't even be compared to the parties

we have now.

[LaydeeBug]

20. Thank you all so much. Everything helped... these people are not entitled to manufacture facts.

bottom line. :hi: