Obama: MLK would have backed ‘Occupy’ protests

[kpete]

Drawing parallels between civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr. and his own leadership challenges, President Obama on Sunday dedicated a memorial to King on the Mall by saying King would have sympathized with activists demanding social justice from Wall Street.

“At this moment, when our politics appear so sharply polarized and faith in our institutions so greatly diminished, we need more than ever to take heed of Dr. King’s teachings,” said Mr. Obama, who praised King’s belief in the “creative tension of nonviolent protests.”

“If he were alive today, I believe he would remind us that the unemployed worker can rightly challenge the excesses of Wall Street without demonizing all who work there,” the president said. “Those with power and privilege will often decry any call for change as divisive. They’ll say any challenge to the existing arrangements are unwise and destabilizing. Dr. King understood that peace without justice was no peace at all.”


MORE:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/16/obama-king-would-have-backed-occupy-wall-street/

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ship of Fools]

2. Damn right MLK he would have supported OWS!

The most interesting line in O's speech, imo, was the following:

"But he also understood that to bring about true and lasting change, there must be the possibility of reconciliation; that any social movement has to channel this tension through the spirit of love and mutuality."

If that doesn't describe O's persistent need to compromise (to a great fault, imo), I wouldn't know what else does.

Personally, fwiw, I think he finally figured out the futility of it all, but it's probably too late (as the Repukes are going to steal the elections, anyway.)

Just one woman's opinion.

[KurtNYC]

3. it is not about "excesses"

Using forged documents to steal homes through the foreclosure process.

Big firms betting against the investments that they sold to fund managers and small investors, bundling bad loans into mortgage backed securities, eg. fraud.

When Wall Street rewards fraud and failure then Wall Street needs fixing Mr. President!

[IndyPragmatist]

4. He would support OWS, but not Obama

Obama is trying to hop onto this movement despite the fact that many of the things that are being protested were supported by Obama. Hopefully most people can see through this.

[coalition_unwilling]

6. Obama is pandering but when I suggested as much I was dismissed

as 'just crabby.'

Whatever. The pro-Obama cohort can spin themselves blue into their well-deserved historical oblivion. OWS is relegating Obama and them to the dustbin of history.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

8. so obama is pandering if he speaks in supporting ways about OWS

and he is ignoring the will of the people if he doesn't do anything in regards to OWS...so he basically can't win with some here on DU it seems

[emulatorloo]

9. You've nailed how modern DU operates. I'd rec your post if I could

[loyalsister]

10. It's ridiculous

He can't win with hardly anyone. Your quote is quite applicable here.
Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. -- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

Shallow interpretation particularly is rampant.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

11. The direction DU is moving in is the main reason I changed my sig

Originally I had a devil's advocate one since i like to prod and poke at something until i understand it properly even when i agree with the post.

I have my fingers crossed that things will turn more sane in the near future, i might be to hopeful tho considering how many democrats have left the site due to its changed mood

[coalition_unwilling]

12. Read it and weep, sucka:

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_movement_too_big_to_fail_20111017

Of course, Obama is pandering. It's pathetic. Meanwhile, OWS protesters in San Francisco are getting their heads bashed in and Obama says and does nothing.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

13. and just why should i be weeping?

[coalition_unwilling]

15. Did you read Hedges' piece, by any chance? Hedges explains

Obama's pathetic stance far better than I could ever dream of.

[TBF]

5. Of course he would - he was killed for talking about class.

You, Mr. President, are no Dr. MLK, Jr.

[TomClash]

7. YOU are absolutely right

Class the great bugaboo - MLK "crossed the line."

I think Obama gets that.

[deutsey]

14. That's right...he was organizing the Poor People's Campaign and was critical of Vietnam

His life was always in danger, but when his talk expanded from race to include class and war...well, that's when the crosshairs really zeroed in on him.