I wasn’t going to comment on the bizarro performance by Miley Cyrus at the MTV awards show, butt this morning I asked myself, “should I be the only person exercising such restraint?”
Especially when I found out that her performance was not only raunchy, butt racist as well. Who knew that twerking – or, “is that what the kids are calling it these days?” – was okay for black performance artists, butt not for white skanks? I guess we all need to be even more sensitive to these things, lest we risk offending our African American brothers and sisters; who are apparently once-again-oppressed, even in the Age-of-Obama.
So as you can see, Miley’s racist act was especially offensive, coming practically on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.
So in an attempt to make reparations for Miley’s offense against the race baiters, I will spend a few minutes today commemorating the sentiments of the truly inspirational Dr. Martin Luther King. While doing so, I will also take the opportunity to reflect on just how far we’ve come from the dream he spoke of so eloquently 50 years ago today.
“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men -- yes, black men as well as white men -- would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
50 years hence, make that the “ unalienable rights of life, liberty, and EBT cards, Obamaphones, condoms and healthcare insurance in your pursuit of happiness.”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Unfortunately, 50 years hence, when people dare judge one his brothers strictly by the content of his character,
“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”
Unfortunately, 50 years hence, the glory of the Lord has been deemed inappropriate for public consumption.
Regardless of it’s provenance
“This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"
Unfortunately, 50 years hence, the Pilgrims have been exposed as narrow minded bigots who stole the land that this country was founded on from the Indians, excuse me, from the “Native Americans.”
“Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring -- when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children -- black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics -- will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Alas! 50 years hence, we are free of the bounds of slavery, segregation (other than self-inflicted) institutional injustice and oppression,. There are no more “Whites only” signs. Now, not only is “a Negro in Mississippi” free to vote, he’s free to do so as often as he wants.
We don’t want to inconvenience anyone by making them get an ID, unless they want to buy cigarettes, Sudafed or nail polish remover.
“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.”
Dr. King would no doubt be disappointed to discover, 50 years hence, that not only are many of his supposed acolytes drinking from that “cup of bitterness and hatred,” butt that the “high plane of dignity and discipline” has been reduced to race baiting.
I can’t imagine that he’d be pleased to find out that everything he stood for and fought for in the pursuit of equality has devolved into racial identity politics. And along with that devolution racism, too, has reversed poles so that now we’re right back where we started except on the other side. As Doonesbury foresaw:
“How do I bring people together? How? Maybe a luau of some kind. What is it Campbell?”
“I just met with the African American Student Council, sir…”
“Great, a new separatist demand, right?”
“Well…”
“I don’t get it, Campbell. The Black students now have separate dorms, fraternities, cafeteria tables, student center, studies program and graduation. After 25 years of intensive, progressive action in pursuit of racial justice at this college, we’ve managed to produce a fully segregated campus. *sigh* What a legacy I’ve created. And to think I marched with Dr. King in Selma.”
“So what is it now?”
“Um…the kids want their own water fountains.”
We’ve come a long way, baby. We now have a black and white president who drinks black beer and white beer:
…and a country that wants separate drinking fountains again.
God bless you Dr. King. I see in your honor today dozens lined up to rail against the ongoing injustice in America, rather than to honor the distance we’ve traveled at your behest. A pox upon the house of these race baiters. That was never a part of your dream for your children.
Linked By: American Digest, and Clint Counts, Abby L Call, Susana Patrick, Carroll Wright on facebook, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and NOBO2012 on Free Republic, Thanks!
Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network
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