Yesterday was the day that in the U.S. means the recognition of this man:
Along with his obvious contribution on racial justice though, he also had plenty to say about poverty, as well as militarism (he was against both, natch’). So, amidst a backdrop of continuing economic struggle, this solemn image was posted next to words like the following, from an officer of the U.S. government:
The Department of Defense is a leader in equal opportunity for all patriots seeking to serve this great nation. . . The vigilant warriors in AFGSC understand they are all equal and unified in purpose to provide a safe, secure and effective deterrent force for the United States. . .
Dr. King would be proud to see our Global Strike team – comprised of Airmen, civilians and contractors from every race, creed, background and religion – standing side-by-side ensuring the most powerful weapons in the U.S. arsenal remain the credible bedrock of our national defense. . . Our team must overlook our differences to ensure perfection as we maintain and operate our weapon systems. . . Maintaining our commitment to our Global Strike team, our families and our nation is a fitting tribute to Dr. King as we celebrate his legacy.
Yes, people of all backgrounds can hand over what little rights they’ve been able to retain in service of the interests of a ruling class of self-serving politicians, their war profiteering buddies, & their loyal adherents to an arguably prejudiced global status quo, wasting thousands of lives and billions of dollars in the process. Ahh, progress! Good grief…
I’d think even a well-respected reverend would let a “Fuck that!” cross his lips at such in public.
(Props – Greenwald)



In fairness, he did leave out Muslims from his “I have a dream” speech, so we can only assume they’re fair game.
I happened to be reading the Riverside Church speech yesterday and this passage leapt to mind when I read your post. Yeah, King was clearly overjoyed at the equal opportunity nature of the military.
Wait… aren’t these the same guys who assassinated King for protesting war?