"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one,

[proud2BlibKansan]

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."

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

[kanrok]

1. I will.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!

Osama Bin Laden is DEAD!

[Lucinda]

2. Thank you.

:)

[nsd]

3. Source?

*** McArdle questions whether the first part of the quotation is real. I'm don't know. ***

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/05/out-of-osamas-death-a-fake-quotation-is-born/238220/

Out of Osama's Death, A Fake Quotation is Born
By Megan McArdle

May 2 2011, 6:23 PM ET 69

Shortly after I posted my piece on feeling curiously un-thrilled about Bin Laden's death, the following quote came across my twitter feed:

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." - Martin Luther King, Jr

I admire the sentiment. But something about it just strikes me as off, like that great Marx quote about the housing bubble that didn't appear anywhere in Das Kapital.

Owners of capital will stimulate the working class to buy more and more of expensive goods, houses and technology, pushing them to take more and more expensive credits, until their debt becomes unbearable. The unpaid debt will lead to bankruptcy of banks, which will have to be nationalised, and the State will have to take the road which will eventually lead to communism. Karl Marx, Das Kapital, 1867

Like the Marx quote, it's a bit too a propos. What "thousands" would King have been talking about? In which enemy's death was he supposed to be rejoicing?

A quick google search turns up lots of tweets, all of them from today. Searching Martin Luther King Jr. quote pages for the word "enemy" does not turn up this quote, only things that probably wouldn't go over nearly so well, like "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy to a friend." I'm pretty sure that this quote, too, is fake.

What's fascinating is the speed of it. Someone made up a quote, attributed it to MLK jr, and disseminated it widely, all within 24 hours. Why? What do you get out of saying something pithy, and getting no credit for it?

Perhaps they only wanted to say this thing, and knew that no one would pay attention unless it came from someone else. Or, perhaps they are getting a gargantuan kick out of seeing people repeat their lie ad infinitum. Either way, it seems strange to me.

[FourScore]

5. Interesting.

I even saw that quote on facebook today.

[FourScore]

7. why did you delete it?

[nsd]

8. I'm not sure if McArdle is right.

The second part of the quotation is real, I think ("Darkness ..."), but I'm not sure about the first part.

[Throd]

17. "People make up a lot of bogus quotes on the internet." Francisco Franco: March 30, 1967

[krquick]

37. The first half of the quote ...

It was falsely attributed to MLK Jr by a simple ommission of a quotation mark somewhere along the way.

[trumad]

4. Osama Bin Laden---burn in hell!

----Trumad

[jtrockville]

6. only light can do that

Beautiful quote. Thanks proud2BlibKansan.

[eridani]

9. So, when Jesus said "Sell all you have and give to the poor, then follow me"--

--about what percentage of the listeners do you think took him up on that? I'd wager it was pretty similar percentage as those who first thought of the MLK quote when hearing about the OBL death. Our species has always been woefully short of saints and prophets.

[bobbolink]

13. Maybe because our society KILLS saints and prophets???

[eridani]

21. Not just our society

Remember the hemlock and the cross?

[bobbolink]

25. I purposely said that because it is OUR society we are responsible for.

There ARE other societies which revere their saints, and especially their prophets.

I always enjoy, when I go to the Indian dances I like so much, seeing the Koshare.. the "clowns". They are funny, yes, but they are also like the jesters of old, and illustrate what is going wrong in the village.

Being a koshare is a position of HONOR. What a concept.

[dkf]

10. If it came to kill or be killed you would be dead. Yeesh.

[xultar]

11. What the fuck does that have to do with it!

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. +1

[aquart]

12. And when he was murdered, every city in America burned.

I had to catalog some of that video. I had no idea there was so much.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

22. Indianapolis didn't burn.

Robert F. Kennedy
Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
delivered 4 April 1968, Indianapolis, IN

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkonmlkdeath.html

[bobbolink]

14. Thank you for reminding us.

[sasha031]

15. thank you, rec.

:)

[jimlup]

16. Agree... I'm happy that the dark story is over but I don't rejoice in death

It is just ignorant tribalism. Not trying to start a debate, that's just how I feel about it.

[flvegan]

19. Rejoicing in his death is a human emotion.

Ghoulish to some, embraced by others. Not everyone is at a place where they don't think beyond that emotion. I can't fault them.

[Gregorian]

23. Very interesting. You can't fault them. We could all learn from that.

I've been condemning those who celebrate this death. There are many aspects to this. Forgiveness. Intelligence. I'm listening to Democracy Now as I type. Celebration over the end of an era is also something these people are doing.

I try to keep an open mind. In an insane world it's hard to do.

[flvegan]

27. Two ways to look at this.

Folks may be happy he's dead because of what he did. People might even be a bit unhappy that he didn't seem to suffer enough at the end. Okay, I can understand that I suppose. Anger, hatred...not necessarily undeserved by bin Laden. Personally, I'm not celebrating his death. I'm happy for the harm left undone because of his death. Too much of this is about revenge. Just another human emotion.

[sabrina 1]

28. Not faulting them doesn't mean not enlightening them, as MLK

tried to do.

Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

'Revenge, aggression and retaliation'. That is what we are doing, seeking revenge, rather than justice, using aggression rather than diplomacy and seeking retaliation for acts that were themselves retaliation for other acts of aggression, and continuing the cycle of violence.

Someone has to stop the cycle. But for those celebrating who as you say, are not 'at a place where they don't think beyond that emotion', how will they ever get to that place in a country that promotes violence, aggression, revenge and retaliation as solutions for everything? Unless they are also exposed to the reality of how their reactions are viewed by others?

He spoke also about being silent when it was necessary to speak out.

[Gregorian]

31. That is perfect.

What he said is exactly how I've been wanting people to see this. From the very first day, I was preaching the very thing Martin Luther King said in your post. People call me crazy for asking to forgive. And anger when I ask for reflection on why it happened rather than what happened.

I'm glad you posted that. I was beginning to doubt myself. I just know we're in the minority. I've posted more on this subject, but I'll leave it at that.

Thanks.

[sabrina 1]

33. You are not crazy. War is crazy, violence is crazy

But I know what you mean. MLK was not crazy either. But in a world that falsely sees strength in violence, the really strong, like MLK, are viewed as weak. I hope his faith in human nature one day evolving beyond that view was right. Because if it was not, 'an eye for an eye' will surely make all of us blind.

It takes great strength to forgive and to understand the 'enemy'. MLK would be vilified today for his belief, stated in his Vietnam speeches, that we should try to understand the enemy. Can you imagine what the hatemongers on talk radio would have to say about him for making that suggestion?

But he was stronger than all of them and he will be remembered, while they will not even be a footnote in history, just background noise, ignorant, weak and frightened. When there are more people who see the truth in what MLK was saying, then there will be some hope for this world. Until then, the cycle of violence will continue, but someone has to keep reminding us that there is another way. Thank you for trying :-)

[Gregorian]

34. The cycle

I just saw a post on the elite Seal team. I've read up on them, and what it takes to be one. Really amazing. Having said that, every post you've made here reflects exactly what my sentiment is. I look at those men with their guns, and I ask what they accomplished. Then I ask what MLK accomplished. The answer is obvious. Live by the sword, die by the sword. I think the bottom line is results. Each time someone is killed, a group of connected relatives are injured. A mother, father, brother, wife. There is so much to say. It's simple and yet complex. But I like to get to the bottom of things. Simply put, love is the only answer. It's not a very popular concept. I even want to use force. It takes effort to produce something of quality. That is something I've learned over a lifetime. And it applies here. The easy way is force, believe it or not. This planet is strange. Cruel and beautiful. We're fighting against an imperfection... I think I've said too much. I got off track. But essentially in order to create a world that works, we must work together.

[flvegan]

32. Not faulting them

while explaining why, is enlightening should they choose to think about it and embrace it.

You do suggest an intriguing thought, though. Seeking revenge rather than justice. If only folks could take the two and realize what they're working towards.

Lastly, how will they ever get to that place? I wish I had that answer. If I had that final answer, we'd all be...well, special. It doesn't mean me shaming them into it. Especially since shame, is...yeah, a human emotion.

[sabrina 1]

35. No, not shaming anyone. But like MLK, expressing

a different viewpoint when the subject arises. I think it's a good thing that those who found the celebratory, party atmosphere towards the news disturbing, expressed their feelings. Most simply stated that they were uncomfortable with the reaction. That is what MLK did, he expressed his own opinion on why we should not seek revenge and retaliation, but find other ways to resolve our problems. Some people who heard him probably were led to think a bit more deeply about their own anger. If they did not have another viewpoint to consider, then there would no other way for them to act.

I have to say that now that I've talked to other people in RL, no one I spoke to, Democrat, Republican or otherwise, was in the mood to celebrate, most were just sad about the state of the world and all the killing and wars and torture and violence. So, maybe it is just a minority who still think that revenge is what we should be looking for and celebrating.

But, MLK was a dreamer. Maybe we will never reach his level of development as a species. If so, I suppose we will eventually make ourselves extinct ~ and if that is the way it is to be, and sometimes I think it is, then what can we do about it except to at least try to delay it a bit?

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

24. If you click on my profile you'll find this. Peace.

[blondeatlast]

26. MLK was much better, stronger person than I am. That's why he was

a leader and I'm not one.

[AsahinaKimi]

29. lovely quote.

agree.

[MadHound]

30. Thank you,

The bloodlust insanity on display here is sickening.

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. Yes it is

But it's not just here. It's all over the intertubes.

[Cleita]

36. Thank you. There are still a few who recognize we

can't do an eye for an eye and win.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

39. That pretty much sums up how I feel - Thanks for posting. -nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. You are welcome

[Romulox]

41. Quote is bogus; unrec. nt

[K8-EEE]

42. This bogus quote showing up all over RW blogosphere

and RW fb users in the quest to criticize Obama. Look! A very respected black man said we should never have killed OBL! Oh brother.

[cherish44]

43. You can't love away a cancerous tumor

And that's what bin Ladin was like. He created destruction death and hate in our world. Best way to get rid of cancer is take it out.