Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on August 28, 2010

Dr. Martin Luther king and his niece, Dr. Alveda King

We must learn to live together as brothers. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Niece of late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Alveda King is the director of African-American outreach for Priests for Life, and the founder of King for America.

She supports Glenn Becks “Restoring Honor” rally today, and wrote this a few days ago.

Posted at Christian Science Monitor, Glenn Beck 8/28 rally: It’s a matter of honor:

In front of the Lincoln Memorial in June, a group of students caught up in a moment of spontaneous patriotism broke into song. But the US Park Police were quick to shush the members of the Young America’s Foundation, saying singing is not allowed at the memorial. The song that was stifled? “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

So much for freedom of speech.

At the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta this July, an official at the memorial to one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the world – my Uncle Martin – removed a bullhorn from the hands of Father Frank Pavone, an internationally recognized leader of the pro-life movement. We were a group more than 100 strong, in Atlanta to declare that abortion is the greatest violation of civil rights in our day. We brought a wreath to lay at Uncle Martin’s grave while we prayed, but due to a King Center official’s barricade at the gravesite, we weren’t allowed. The National Park Service said that would constitute a demonstration.

So much for freedom of assembly.

Symbols of liberty

Americans are hungry to reclaim the symbols of our liberty, hard won by an unlikely group of outnumbered, outgunned, underfunded patriots determined not to live in servitude to the British Empire. If we want to sing the national anthem at a memorial to the man who led this fledgling nation out of slavery, and made my people free, we should be able to send our voices soaring to the heavens.

Glenn Beck’s “Rally to Restore Honor” this Saturday will give us that chance, and that’s why I feel it’s important for me to be there.

Before the words were out of Mr. Beck’s mouth announcing the Aug. 28 rally, The New York Times noted that it would be at the same place and 47 years to the day since my Uncle Martin gave his “I Have a Dream Speech.” When asked why he chose that date in particular, Beck said he had not realized its significance, but in thinking about it, he saw it is an auspicious day to rally for the honor of the American people. He has said, and he’s right, that Martin Luther King didn’t speak only for African-Americans. He spoke for all Americans, and his words still ring true.

Other groups are planning rallies and demonstrations in Washington that day, and freedom of speech gives them the right to do so – and to criticize me for not jumping on their bandwagon. But Uncle Martin’s legacy is big enough to go around.

A rally about character, not politics

Though critics see it as partisan, Beck’s rally is not a political event, per se. Instead, it is designed to be a refreshing exercise of freedom of speech.

The rally will be a celebration of who we are as a nation and a chance to stop for a moment, reflect, reorganize, and re-energize. It’s a chance to think about character; both our character as a nation and our character as individuals.

Delineating ourselves as red state or blue, liberal or conservative, minority or majority, we have not quite reached the day when men and women are “judged not by the color of their skin but on the content of their character.” We are still marching toward that day. As Uncle Martin said, “we cannot turn back.”

The rally will also give America another chance to honor and thank the men and women in our armed forces for the dangers they face every day in our stead. Unless you have a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, it’s too easy to forget that tens of thousands of Americans are far from the comforts of home, are directly in harm’s way, facing an enemy who hates us precisely because we are free. And coming just days before the ninth anniversary of 9/11, the day that roused us from our complacency, we could use another wakeup call, one of our own devising.

When I join Beck and all gathered at the Lincoln Memorial this weekend, I will talk about my Uncle Martin and the America he envisioned. I will talk about honor and character and sacrifice. I will be joined by those who represent the diversity of the human race.

On Saturday, Uncle Martin’s dream of personhood and human dignity will resound across America. And the Park Police should consider themselves forewarned: As we stand in the symbolic shadow of the great American who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, we just might sing.

Related:
Gateway Pundit: Crazy Alan Grayson on Beck Rally: “These Are the People Who Were Wearing Sheets Over Their Heads 25 Years Ago” (Video) and Beck Admits He Wore Bullet-Proof Vest at Rally and NAACP Leader Says Tea Partiers Would Probably Not Applaud MLK’s Dream Speech… While They Were Applauding His Niece Across Town (Video) and CROWD ROARS at Restoring Honor Rally as MLK’s Niece Alveda King Declares: “I Too Have a Dream!” (Video) and SEIU Stands Up for “Amercan” Dream at Al Sharpton’s Counter-Freedom Rally and By the Way… Glenn Beck Raised $5.5 Million for Special Operations Warrior Fund and Obama Says He Ignored Restoring Honor Rally… He Was Out Golfing and Sen. Landrieu Tries to Tie Beck & Restoring Honor Rally to Hurricane Katrina… Fails and A Tale of Two Rallies on the Mall: Clean Conservatives vs. Filthy Libs (Video) and ALBERT PUJOLS WOWS THE CROWD at “Restoring Honor” Rally in DC (Video)
TimesWatch: Oh No! Glenn Beck Rally ‘Overwhelmingly White and Largely Middle-Aged’
Sister Toldjah: Ed. Sec. to employees: Maybe you should attend Sharpton rally
Another Black Conservative: Copycats: Liberals to hold their own Beck-like rally on Oct 2
Conservative Pup: Glenn Beck or NAACP – Which would Martin Luther King Jr. Attend?
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Huge Turn-out at DC “Restoring Honor” Rally: Glenn Beck Wore Bullet-Proof Vest for Protection Against Left-wing Radicals, Clean-up of Grounds by Conservatives (video) and Liberty: Dr. Alveda King on Her Uncle Martin Luther King & Glenn Beck and Black Conservative Supports Glenn Beck Rally: Says Beck’s Values & Principles More Consistent with MLK’s Values Than “Black Civil Rights Leaders Who Have Sold Their Souls”
Nice Deb: Restoring Honor Rally in DC
Sharp Right Turn: UPDATE: About Honor, Restoration, Unity, and Beck
Motivation Truth: Restoring Honor Rally Closing Prayer and Worship
No Sheeples Here: Somethin’ 4 Mutton: Standing Guard Over Liberty Edition
Legal Insurrection: Subliminal Deception
Real Clear Politics: CBS News to black woman at Beck rally, “I’m noticing that there are not a lot of minorities here”
Doug Powers, Michelle Malkin: ‘Restoring Honor’ at the Lincoln Memorial
Publius, Big Government: SEIU Misspells ‘American Dream’ at Rally Government

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