Beck tries, fails to distort Martin Luther King’s message
I was stunned when I found out Glenn Beck was planning a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic “I have a dream” speech. It struck me as unbelievably wrong for someone who regularly attacks social justice to try to seize the mantle of Dr. King’s teachings. Beck’s claim that the Civil Rights Movement was about “not social justice, but equal justice” and his assertion that he and his audience are the “inheritors and protectors of the civil rights movement” reflect a complete ignorance of history. It’s like saying 2+2 = 5. Really, it’s not a remotely serious argument.
But I have to admit that Beck’s ridiculous rhetoric genuinely angered me. Thankfully, several recent commentaries this week put things back in perspective. Writing in the Washington Post and USA Today (respectively), Martin Luther King III and John Lewis remind us of King’s commitment to social justice and what today’s leaders are doing to continue his work. Leonard Pitts and Adam Serwer recounted who was on the right side and wrong side of history in the Civil Rights Movement. And today, Pulitzer Prize-winner Eugene Robinson puts Beck’s rally and King’s work in historical perspective:
No puffed-up blabbermouth could ever diminish the importance of the 1963 March on Washington or the impact of King’s unforgettable words.
Lincoln and King will always have their places in American history. Beck’s 15 minutes of fame and influence are ticking by.
… Saturday night, when the event is done, the Lincoln Memorial will still be the place where King gave one of the most memorable speeches of the 20th century. People who came to the rally in search of answers will still be looking. And Glenn Beck will still be a legend in his own mind.
Glenn Beck’s self-aggrandizing publicity stunt does not have the power to distort, eclipse, or undo Dr. King’s legacy. I’m thankful for the reminder.
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