Friday, August 27, 2010

Behold, Glenn Beck's Rally Cometh

Tomorrow, then, is the big day, Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally promising to salute the military and others who exemplify integrity, truth and honor.

Those being good things, while I won't be there, I will be interested.

As for the flap about it falling on the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and being held at the very location of King's speech . . .

Beck has said this is just a coincidence, but he has to understand if we are skeptical. After all, King's niece, Alveda King will be one of the featured speakers. And, to top it, Beck has said (quoting from an Associated Press story), "This is a moment, quite honestly, that I think we reclaim the civil rights movement."

So, the event is envisioned to reclaim the civil rights movement, and King's niece is to speak, and it is at the Lincoln Memorial where King gave that memorable address, and it falls on the very anniversary? It all does seem too much for coincidence.

That being said, what it observes and whether good comes from it is what is important. If Beck is planning on including goodwill for civil rights at his party, that's great. Al Sharpton and other civil rights advocates do have the right to oppose what Beck is doing, but I would rather see them wait to see what happens, and if the event does support civil rights, then congratulate the effort, instead of opposing it.

If someone supports your cause, support them for doing so. As another African-American man named King once said, "Can't we all be friends?" (that would be Rodney King, who was beaten by police in 1992, sparking the Los Angeles Riots.)

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