Martin Luther King Jr still alive today

Bmao

This just came to me a moment ago.

What if Martin Luther King Jr had not been assasinated by James Earl Ray, and were still alive today? He would be 78 were he still alive, though on his autopsy it revealed that though he was only 39 when he died, he had a heart of a 60 year old man, meaning there is a chance he might have died from a heart condition sometime during the 1980's.

However, what could MLK have accomplished had he lived? What would be his legacy?
 

David S Poepoe

Banned
I think its probably pretty good that certain individuals are cut off in their prime while their star is still high. The halo of martyrdom allows us to whitewash their lives and its not until much later that we learn they have feet of clay like the rest of us.

Does anybody hear about Jesse Jackson any more?
 

TemporalRenegade

That is a fascinating question! An episode of The Boondocks explored such a scenario. Of course, if the information about his heart condition is true, then it is not too likely he would be alive today, at age 78. Still I think Dr. King could have accomplished all sorts of progress in the Civil Rights movement for much longer and would serve as an inspirational voice for many people. Martin Luther King Jr. truly earned his hero status!
 
Mr_ Bondoc

Mr_ Bondoc

Some Quick Issues....

Although MLK Jr. was certainly martyred by his 1968 assassination. Mnay people forget how villified as a "coward" King was for his stance against the Vietnam War. Just consider how many of the anti-war activists of the 1960s/1970s are often painted by ht eright-wing as "wimps". Consider that in 2004, John Kerry was considered a wimp despite serving 2 combat tours of duty in Vietnam and receiving a Purple Heart for the affair. Before the "Swift Boat" affair, the Republican Party had cast doubt into the combat tours of duty, especially when "Dubbyah" was questioned about his National Guard duty in Texas and Alabama.

As for the African-American community, the rise of the Black Panther Party in 1966 displayed the lack of patience forcivil rights that many Northern and urban African-Americans had for the issue. By 1968, many saw MLK Jr. as being a relic of a different era. One major difference of his presence woulkd be stronger ties to the Jewish-American community. The 1976 attempt by Jesse Jackson to link the Civil Rights movement to the Palestinian struggle would have been discouraged. Also his "Hymietown" remarks would have been seriously rebuked. This would have certainly placed the African-American community in a more mainstream context during the 1970s....
 
Fenwick

Fenwick

I think MLK would be in that odd area of public life, rembered yet not listened to. As the 70's rolled in non-violence was thought too slow, as the Black power movement came into full swing. Of course King would still be vocal about civil rights and equality, but over time the community, and maybe even the government will stop leaping up to listen to him.

80's and 90's he gets to witness the Crack epidemic tear apart the black community. He also gets to witness the rise of the the "thug" culture. While at the same time promoting the Black empowerment of the times as well.

Overall I see King never giving up, being that foil to the more radical aspects of Black Culture. For example Bayard Rustin, who counceled Dr. King on non-violence, was in constant criticism of the Black power movement, and its militant leftist, and right-wing factions.
 

Larrikin

Banned
Dr King lives

If MLK was alive today the USA wouldn't have to put up with the absolutely crap black "leadership" (term used only advisedly, and with much sarcasm) that such wonderful wankers like Sharpton and Jackson have provided.
 

Larrikin

Banned
Facts

Max Sinister said:
Watch it, Larrikin. Can you back up your words with facts?
Click to expand...

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have spent their public careers promoting divisive and racists tactics of victimhood for US blacks. Look at their reactions when Bill Cosby, who is very much and MLK devotee criticised current black culture and its direction 2 years ago.

The pair of them are more interested in personal power than the plight of blacks in the US, and its in their interests to have a large pool of poor, under educated, unemployable blacks as their constituents than to have those same people become better educated, in better health, and in better economic situations.

Here in Australia there are 'advocates' for the Aboriginal community that play the same game, but the people that are really doing a good job for the Aborigines are those like Noel Pearson, who doesn't buy into that game at all.

I am not making racist comments, I am making denigratory comments about people who need to be denigrated for their peformance and positions.
 

Max Sinister

Banned
And can you give examples from reliable sources when and where they were "promoting divisive and racists tactics of victimhood for US blacks"? That's what I mean if I talk about "backing up your opinion with facts".
 

Dean_the_Young

Max Sinister said:
And can you give examples from reliable sources when and where they were "promoting divisive and racists tactics of victimhood for US blacks"? That's what I mean if I talk about "backing up your opinion with facts".
Click to expand...

You could probably search msn.com or cnn.com for their names, but hasnt Jackson manuvered himself to the position where any time a black person is allegedly wronged, you have to get his forgiveness? Like with those basketball players a few weeks ago?
 

Max Sinister

Banned
Have some mercy, I'm not American and am not informed about every small detail anyone in American politics has said or done.
 

Tom Veil

Larrikin came off as a little cranky and off-the-cuff at first, so I totally understand Max getting on his back. But I'm definitely with him that the self-appointed leaders are not the men that would serve us.

Most famous instance of Bill Cosby being vilified for saying something very reasonable: Pound_Cake_speech

Most famous example of Al Sharpton being an embarrassment to brothers: Tawana Brawley

Moust famous example of Jesse Jackson being a total bigot: Hymietown

Those anecdotes are very much revealing of the overall characters of the 3 men. Yet Cosby gets dismissed by most of the media as being a "comedian" while Sharpton and Jackson are treated as if the Black community has voted them into office or something.
 

Jason

I remember seeing a TV 'what if' series a little while back which had both MLK and Bobby Kenndey not be assassinated and ended up as Vice President and President together in the late 60s (or ealry 70s). can't remember much but think it showed them leaving Vietnam, trying to cool things with the USSR, working to improve things in the USA-I think the results were mixed.
 

ljofa

Hoover despised MLK and had a nice fat file on all of his infidelities. He might be tempted to release it into the public thus discrediting him nicely.

I think that MLK's extra-marital affairs would be come public knowledge at some point and he'd be slammed for it. I don't know if Coretta would stand by him.
 
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