MLK Day 2022 Open Thread

30
  by: Colorado Pols January 16, 2022 at 10:45 PM MST

“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”

–Martin Luther King, Jr.

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30 Community Comments, Facebook Comments

  1. Diogenesdemar says:
    January 17, 2022 at 6:34 AM MST

    “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

    “Over the last few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. So I have tried to make it clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or even more, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends.”

    “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

    Letter From Birmingham Jail

    . . . Hoping that Senators Sinema, Manchin, et al, spent last night, and as many other beauty-sleepless nights as it takes, being haunted by the horrible ghosts and specters of racism and injustice — past, present, and future.

     

  2. Meiner49er says:
    January 17, 2022 at 6:46 AM MST

    No quotes. Kill the filibuster and pass voting rights!

    We may lose in 2022 and regret the consequences, but at least we will have done the right thing. 

  3. ParkHill says:
    January 17, 2022 at 7:42 AM MST

    Quote of the day: 

    Scott Lemieux: The Fox News Court: ‘The core argument made by the Republican majority in its opinion striking down the mandate was, literally, that the OHSA cannot regulate a grave threat in a workplace if it also a grave threat outside of the workplace… <https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2022/01/the-fox-news-court>

  4. kwtree says:
    January 17, 2022 at 9:46 AM MST

    About 600 people here at the MLK statue in City Park for the start of the Marade. Photos later.

    • JohnInDenver says:
      January 17, 2022 at 10:07 AM MST

      Thanks for being there, and I'll look forward to pictures. 

      I was going to be going to a service project … but managed to break my left humerus.  Pro tip …. bone breaking on a holiday weekend is not the best move.

      • kwtree says:
        January 17, 2022 at 4:44 PM MST

        A broken bone is just not a humerus situation, J i D.

        Here are some pics from a great day in Denver, January 17, 2022.

        Gathering at the statue in City Park

        Michael Bennet speaking

        Start of the marade in front of East High School – led off by MLK Early College students

        One of the drumlines in the marade – I think this one may be Montbello Warriors by the colors

        Finally , a glimpse of how big and diverse the crowd was, passing by my old alma mater, East High School

        CBS4 had some good coverage of the day's events, and said that "thousands" marched down Colfax…

    • Diogenesdemar says:
      January 17, 2022 at 2:32 PM MST

      I had to bite my tongue, and restrain myself, during Hickenlooper's mealy mouthed blargle . . .

      • kwtree says:
        January 17, 2022 at 3:27 PM MST

        I didn't even listen to Hickenlooper. He was for voting rights, like he would ever come out against them, but said nothing about the filibuster. I also held back during Mike Coffman's self-serving soliloquy. I wanted to yell out, "214 votes is not a mandate!"

        Coffman's against everything MLK was ever for – housing opportunities for the homeless, environmental justice, fair treatment for people of color facing police action, fair elections. I think Coffman was saying that there will be more economic opportunity in Aurora now – for developers and oil and gas producers. Oh yay.

        • Diogenesdemar says:
          January 17, 2022 at 7:12 PM MST

          I honestly had a bit more respect for Coffman this morning — he actually made some effort, even just showing up hypocritically — than I had for Hickenlooper, showing up (“flying in for” — I’ll bet TSA is such a challenge for him? — on our dime) with absolutely nothing . . . 

          Coffman actually had to make a choice to be a hypocrite; Hickenlooper merely “chose” to be that same guy who shows up in his mirror every morning . . .

      • Duke Cox says:
        January 17, 2022 at 3:47 PM MST

        "mealy-mouthed blargle"…

        He's kind of a one-trick pony on that score. That's all he's got.

  5. ElliotFladen says:
    January 17, 2022 at 10:08 AM MST

    I continue to view any holiday that honors an individual as heading down the path of idolatry as we end up inevitably putting such person’s failings as virtues and celebrating those as well (when we never intended to honor those failings originally and only intended to honor their accomplishments).  I wish we’d replace MLK Day with Civil Rights day.  Along the same lines, I wish we’d get rid of Columbus (or Mother Cabrini day now?) and President’s Day.  In their place have a national holiday for voting and some other holiday in February.

  6. Genghis says:
    January 17, 2022 at 10:54 AM MST

    Ah yes, MLK Day, when the wingers remind us that Dr. King’s real dream was assuring that all mentally mediocre white kids have the unqualified right to attend the college or university of their choice.

    • MichaelBowman says:
      January 17, 2022 at 1:34 PM MST

      If an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house, it is his right to do so.”
      -~Ronald Reagan, 1966. 

      Never forget: there was a veto-proof majority, and that’s why Reagan was forced to sign #MLKDay into law. 

      • Diogenesdemar says:
        January 17, 2022 at 2:16 PM MST

        . . . speaking of, down the path of idols worshipped for their failings . . .

        (. . . must be that fucker’s birthday everyday?)

      • Genghis says:
        January 17, 2022 at 2:25 PM MST

        Never forget: there was a veto-proof majority, and that’s why Reagan was forced to sign #MLKDay into law.

        Brings back fond memories of the Gray Lady and other elements of the liberal (lol) MSM telling us that the Lord God Ronnie was a far better friend to black folk than Obama.

      • MichaelBowman says:
        January 17, 2022 at 3:12 PM MST

        Perspective:

        Just FIFTY FOUR years ago  he was called “the most dangerous man in America” by the FBI and had a 17,000 page FBI file at the time of his death. 

        On the the day we celebrate a Federal holiday – take a moment to read the unredacted version of the letter the Federal government (FBI) sent to Dr. King in 1964.

        “You filthy abnormal animal” – the vile description of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Drum Major for justice…

        …while today some are called “Patriots”.

        Let us not forget – as we remember. 

        Thank you Dr. King.  

        #Perspective #MuchMoreThanADream 

  7. MichaelBowman says:
    January 17, 2022 at 1:32 PM MST

    If you think Republicans are shameless hypocrites for quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. today—just wait until they go back to quoting Jesus tomorrow!

  8. itlduso says:
    January 17, 2022 at 3:44 PM MST

    Don’t Look Up.

    The movie, “Don’t Look Up” is about scientists trying to get public and political attention focused on an existential meteor heading toward Earth.  Their inability to be taken serious is viewed by many as an allegory to climate change.  Wrong.  I believe the more accurate allegory is to voter suppression and vote nullification laws being passed throughout the country.  No Republican senators and two Democratic senators can’t be troubled to carve out filibuster rules to pass federal voting rights legislation. 

    This is the easy time to do something about voting rights.   Kind of like sending out missiles to change a meteor’s course while it’s a long way from Earth.  If we miss this opportunity, then the midterm elections will find candidates like Mark Kelly (AZ) and Raphael Warnock (GA) possibly winning the majority of votes despite voter suppression efforts, only to be blocked by GOP legislatures nullifying valid election results.  After we lose the Senate and/or House in 2022, the 2024 elections will be more of the same with no ability to correct course.

    If voting rights is stalled in the Senate, then the only hope for Democrats (read: American democracy) is to relentlessly make a case for winning the 2022 midterms by undeniably large numbers.  There is so much Dems can run on: 3.9% unemployment, vaccination success, stock market (i.e, retirement plan) records, the infrastructure bill, etc.  They must do so relentlessly to counter the GOP lies.

    I didn’t hear much from Michael Bennet, Jason Crow and Adam Schiff at last weekend’s fundraiser to make me think they have a real plan to save the country other than calling this an “opportunity”, or something.  I am seriously depressed about our prospects…….

     

     

    • The realist says:
      January 18, 2022 at 8:16 AM MST

      All good points, itlduso. And perhaps it would help Coloradans to understand that just because Dems currently control the legislature and Governorship, and we have an excellent system of elections, does not mean a Republican Congress and Republican President couldn't find a way to change OUR state's vote for President in the future. 

      • RepealAndReplace says:
        January 18, 2022 at 11:21 AM MST

        "does not mean a Republican Congress and Republican President couldn't find a way to change OUR state's vote for President in the future." 

        So true. Just because they are singing the praises of our federal system – Mitt Romney was just on TV yesterday saying how our current system of essentially 51 presidential elections makes it difficult for anyone to steal – does not mean that when the opportunity presents itself, they won't be singing a different song.

         

  9. Genghis says:
    January 17, 2022 at 3:53 PM MST

    “We have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifices. Capitalism was built on the exploitation of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor, both black and white, both here and abroad.”

    ~ MLK Jr.

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