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 | found on Google News
edited by Humberto (Plastic)
written by novy
Dueling Rallies | Two score and seven years ago, on 28 August 1963, Reverend Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech before 200,000 people at Washington's Lincoln Memorial calling for racial equality. 28 August seemed "auspicious" to Glenn Beck, who arranged for his own rally at Washington's Lincoln Memorial calling for "Restoring Honour" to America. With Sarah Palin among his guest speakers, he managed to attract tens of thousands of his supporters to D.C. and he also managed to attract hundreds of counter-demonstrators, led by Al Sharpton. Beck insisted his rally was "non-political" and his speech struck many in attendance as religious in nature:
"Something beyond imagination is happening. America today begins to turn back to God. For too long, this country has wandered in darkness, [but now it is time to] concentrate on the good things in America, the things we have accomplished and the things we can do tomorrow."
Palin's speech was aimed more at "patriots" than at Republicans:
"It is so humbling to get to be here with you today, patriots. You who are motivated and engaged ... and knowing never to retreat.... We must restore America and restore her honor." She also said she "wasn't speaking as a politician": "No, something more, something much more. I've been asked to speak as the mother of a soldier and I am proud of that distinction. Say what you want to say about me, but I raised a combat vet and you can't take that away from me."
Beck even got one of King's nieces to show up, apparently based on her opposition to abortion. However, Al Sharpton, who was upset that Beck decided to hold his rally on this particular date, commented:
"The structural breakdown of a strong national government, which is what they're calling for, is something that does not serve the interests of the nation and it's something that Dr. King and others fought against..."
Certainly, Beck and Sharpton have competing visions of America, but they also seem to have competing visions of Martin Luther King and what he stood for. What was Beck hoping to accomplish by invoking King's memory? Why couldn't he have held his rally on Labour Day weekend instead? "
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