Why are MLK's children, grandchildren, and other relatives allowing that one niece

[pnwmom]

to drape MLK's mantle over Beck and Palin? Or are they speaking out against this? Have I missed something?

[nc4bo]

1. The Skeptical Brotha said she's "fallen off the mountaintop, bumped her damn head" LOL

There's 1 or 2 in every family.

I'm sure everyone's so very proud of her :evilgrin:

[AspenRose]

2. Bwahahahahaha

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

7. LOL. I don't know. I bet she got a nice check for today.

[nc4bo]

10. That's usually the bottomline anyway but I still love SB's description ;) nt

[AngryOldDem]

3. I thought I heard that for the most part they don't have much to do with her.

She is ultraconservative and plays no part in furthering King's legacy.

[Nikki Stone1]

6. So, with Beck, she gets her day in the sun.

That simple. She may also feel that God called her to do this.

[pnwmom]

18. Why aren't they speaking out against her message? That MLK would approve of Beck/Palin?

If MLK were my grandfather, I wouldn't be be standing silently by while people like Beck/Palin appropriated his memory --with the help of a niece.

[pinboy3niner]

24. They've spoken out against her all along

They've also spoken out against her message. One example:

Those Who Lived the Struggle to End Segregation Now Speak Out for Same-Gender Marriage Equality
Coretta Scott King

"I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice... But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King, Jr., said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere' ... I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."1

"Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union. A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing, and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages."2

"We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny... I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be," she said, quoting from her husband. "I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy."3

"Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Georgia, and St. Augustine, Florida, and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions."4

"We have a lot of work to do in our common struggle against bigotry and discrimination. I say 'common struggle,' because I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry & discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination."5

"We have to launch a campaign against homophobia in the black community."6

"Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group."7

Coretta Scott King was the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a leader in the civil rights movement.

(Footnote refs at link):
http://www.soulforce.org/article/766

[Nikki Stone1]

4. They probably couldn't do a damned thing about it

And the niece is probably getting her first chance to bask in the limelight. She sounds like a very religious woman and may be a FAUX watcher. She probably would have voted for Prop 8 in CA.

[EFerrari]

8. She's sounds like a snake oil saleswoman.

A public objection from the non-@sshole part of the family would only feed into the Tee Klanner victim mentality anyway.

[pinboy3niner]

9. She was a featured speaker on NOM's anti-gay bus tour this summer

[Nikki Stone1]

11. Another Donnie McClurkin, eh?

This is why all civil rights must be respected.

[pinboy3niner]

12. Yep. Here's one story on it, w/vid of her speaking at link:

Alveda King ‘Betrays Heritage,’ Speaks at Failed NOM Rally in Atlanta
http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2010/08/10249/

[Nikki Stone1]

17. Thanks.

Just awful.

[pnwmom]

14. They couldn't stop HER but they all could have spoken out against Beck and Palin.

There silence is speaking volumes, unfortunately.

[Nikki Stone1]

20. And there's the rub.

Why not speak out?

[pnwmom]

19. Sure they could. They could issue their own statements saying that she does NOT

speak for the family, and that MLK would not approve of Beck/Palin.

[RamboLiberal]

5. Because it is a free country and you can't stop family

from deciding to align with an opposite view. I understand she is vehemently anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage and very fundamentalist Christian.

[pnwmom]

16. And what has happened to their OWN speech? Why are they not countering her

attempt to link MLK with Beck/Palin?

They can't stop her but they can damn well speak up for themselves. And for MLK's memory.

[stray cat]

13. Does your family control you?

[pnwmom]

15. They should be SPEAKING OUT against the message that Beck/Palin would be

approved of by MLK.

[hileeopnyn8d]

22. They are

Martin Luther King III wrote this op/ed for the Washington Post this week:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082405003.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[pnwmom]

25. Thank you for the link. That's what I was hoping for. n/t

[Tippy]

21. She had every right to speak

no matter what her family said...But I wonder if she collected a fee? it would be interesting to find out, but probably impossible....Hell with this economy she may need the money...

[pnwmom]

26. Of course she did. But so did they. Any and all of them could have spoken out

against her views.

[mfcorey1]

23. Basically she has laid claim to Dr King's legacy to exploit it for fifteen minutes of fame.

The family quietly refutes her. She is a renegade and out of control, loves to promote herself.