Thoughts from MLK, worth remembering on the occasion of OBL's demise

[stranger81]

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

[G_j]

1. of course there are folks unrecing MLK Jr.

just as they did a quote from Lao Tzu earlier..


31

Even the finest arms are an instrument of evil,
A spread of plague,
And the way for a vital man to go is not the way of a soldier.
But in time of war men civilized in peace
Turn from their higher to their lower nature.
Arms are an instrument of evil,
No measure for thoughtful men
Until there fail all other choice
But sad acceptance of it.
Triumph is not beautiful.
He who thinks triumph beautiful
Is one with a will to kill,
And one with a will to kill
Shall never prevail upon the world.
It is a good sign when man's higher nature comes forward,
A bad sign when his lower nature comes forward,
When retainers take charge
And the master stays back
As in the conduct of a funeral.
The death of a multitude is cause for mourning:
Conduct your triumph as a funeral.

Lao Tzu
from the Tao Te Ching

[Zenlitened]

2. Don't have to hate OBL to be glad he's gone.

Simple logic will suffice.

Now, if only the damage he caused, which was magnified so enormously by the Bush-Cheney cabal abetted by diffident Democrats and a supine citizenry... if only the damage could be so definitively undone.

[Solomon]

3. Is it okay to feel relief?

Damn. We've heard from Confuscious, Martin Luther King, I'm sure Jesus will be next.

I "love" the fact that the bastard is dead. I'm not popping out any champagne and partying. I do feel some relief though. I hope that's okay.

[stranger81]

5. I seem to remember being taught in Sunday School

to love thine enemy. Pretty sure Jesus & MLK would stand together on this. You wouldn't find them in a car together last night shouting "hoo-rah" and waving an American flag.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. I wonder what MLK would say if he were alive today? Of course

we can't speak for him.

[stranger81]

7. No, we can't. But we can heed the words he thought were important enough to speak himself. [n/t]

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. ...and we can wonder what he would say in a different world.

I am not cheering, but I am not crying over this one.

[G_j]

10. the world is not that different

and he was pretty consistent.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. The world is always changing. Always different.

I won't presume to know or guess what he would think. I just know what I think.

[stranger81]

11. Is the world different now, or are we?

Even if you think it's the former, I'm comfortable saying that MLK's response to this wouldn't be "Fuck it, let's party. USA!! USA!!"

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. I'm not saying that. I'm making a comment, an observation if you will.

We don't know what he would say. Like I said before. Others can dance. I'm not, but I'm not crying. I also won't judge those who are cheering. I doubt MLK would judge them either. But I can't speak for him.

[rustydog]

6. Thank you, I find it hard not to jump for joy at this news.

MLK's words ring true and resound loud and clear.

We are better than this, or we should aspire to be better than this.
thank you for the post!

[gratuitous]

9. Well, MLK didn't know how 9/11 changed everything

And don't get me started on that Jesus guy. Buncha socialist twaddle, if you ask me.

[FSogol]

12. "I never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain

As noted by DU'er Will Pitt earlier today.

[stranger81]

15. Hence the difference between a popular novelist and a moral leader. [n/t]

[bobbolink]

14. Thank you! An apt quote for today.

What we are missing is that change will only come by changing hearts and minds... not by killing a supposed "leader". That means the onus is on US.. the U.S..... to look at our own selves, and how we have contributed to what has happened.

[Trey9007]

17. I really don't like it when people use MLK out of context....

We all know when MLK made that quote he was NOT referring to actions of WAR against a foreign enemy. He was talking about domestic problems among Americans that are supposed to be handled in a peaceful manner.

Theres no way MLK would be against the US killing someone who killed Americans, and who's goal was to end the right & freedoms that MLK himself was fighting to obtain.

I respect those who feel OBL's death should not be celebrated. But to try to strengthen this position by quoting MLK is just wrong, IMO..

[stranger81]

18. Totally disagree, obviously.

But feel free to identify any of MLK's statements you believe support this kind of gravedancing. You'll be looking for quite a while, friend.

[Trey9007]

26. Context my friend...

Im in no way making a claim that MLK would be dancing in the streets. No leader would. Hell, Obama ordered the attacks and even he wasn't rejoicing (at least not publicly). Im just saying you are taking that quote out of context. Im thinking MLK's responce would be measured, but I think he definitly would be happy justice was served.

[G_j]

19. "I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. "

what part of "I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." did you miss?

[rustydog]

20. "...But I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy..."

you should get an olympic medal for the gargantuan leap you made there!
Holy COW.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Out of context, Christian teaching, out of context...ok

[coalition_unwilling]

22. We all do not KNOW that. Have you even bothered to read

MLK's famous Riverside speech of 1967? MLK was against the US killing Vietnamese, that's for sure, even if some of those Vietnamese were killing Americans.

[Trey9007]

27. You are right.....

I didnt realize that text was from that speech.

However,after familiarizing myslef with the speech, I still think it's being taken out of context. MLK was speaking to a group that was against the Vietnam War. Unless we know for sure that MLK would be against the war on Terrorsim in a 2011 America, I still think it's taken out of context. Clearly not as far out of context as I originally thought. But still out of context, IMO...

[coalition_unwilling]

28. MLK was a Christian (Baptist). Matthew 5:38-39 and 5:44 come to

mind: 'Turn the other cheek' and "Love thy Enemy". Not out of context for MLK, Jr.

[kirby]

30. It's not like the Vietnam war was going on n/t

[undeterred]

21. I think its hard to understand how we are a nation of laws

when it comes to some murders but we don't have to have a trial for other murders. The nineteen terrorists were already accused and convicted on September 12, 2001- but they were already dead. Osama was already convicted immediatlely also. I'm afraid things are just a little to complicated for us to know the truth any more, especially when it is asserted so quickly and dogmatically.

If they had no idea it was going to happen on September 11, how the hell did they know exactly who did it on September 12?

[truedelphi]

23. Another OP that is up right now states -

"Because you are a Conspiracy Theorist, it doesn't make you a liberal"

Since I know the kind of mind that posts thing like that, I didn't reply.

But if I had, I would have said, "Because you believe everything that everyone in authority tells you, it doesn't make you a critically thinking person."

My favorite remark of the day "Osama bin Laden is dead again!"

[undeterred]

24. Its hard to know what the truth is.

We know we've been lied to many times. We're just not sure when.

[truedelphi]

25. Oh and as to how they know who did it on September

The Twelvth, they found Atta's passport on top of a pile of burning rubble, not even singed! (Apparently the names of all the co-conspirators were written on a list inside that passport.)

[SecularMotion]

29. K & R

:kick: