01/22/08: King's values lost amid presidential talk - Jean McElhaney
Jean McElhaney: King's values lost amid presidential talk
The Capital Times
Letter to the editor — 1/22/2008 9:38 am
Dear Editor: I've heard many of the presidential candidates refer to Martin Luther King. The press seems to have made much of what Hillary Clinton said, how Barack Obama responded, what Clinton said back, etc.
I'm worried about losing sight of the values King stood for -- peace, dignity, inclusion, and meeting human needs. My guess is that King would rather hear discussion about how to bring about that peaceful, just world we long for rather than about him as an individual.
Creating that world requires all of us to unite in making the dream come true. The movement that he was part of wasn't about what King as an individual did or what Lyndon Johnson as an individual did -- it was about what lots of people can achieve when they each do their unique part toward a shared vision.
I would love to see we the people hold the media accountable for covering the issues instead of the personalities or the horse race. If candidates are going to refer to Martin Luther King, I would like journalists to ask them exactly how their policies fit with King's values, words and actions. For example, do you think Martin Luther King would vote to spend billions of dollars on war?
Jean McElhaney, Lone Rock
The Capital Times
Letter to the editor — 1/22/2008 9:38 am
Dear Editor: I've heard many of the presidential candidates refer to Martin Luther King. The press seems to have made much of what Hillary Clinton said, how Barack Obama responded, what Clinton said back, etc.
I'm worried about losing sight of the values King stood for -- peace, dignity, inclusion, and meeting human needs. My guess is that King would rather hear discussion about how to bring about that peaceful, just world we long for rather than about him as an individual.
Creating that world requires all of us to unite in making the dream come true. The movement that he was part of wasn't about what King as an individual did or what Lyndon Johnson as an individual did -- it was about what lots of people can achieve when they each do their unique part toward a shared vision.
I would love to see we the people hold the media accountable for covering the issues instead of the personalities or the horse race. If candidates are going to refer to Martin Luther King, I would like journalists to ask them exactly how their policies fit with King's values, words and actions. For example, do you think Martin Luther King would vote to spend billions of dollars on war?
Jean McElhaney, Lone Rock
Submitted by wnpj on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 3:56pm.