Bubba Clinton: MLK, Jr. would be “pleased” today – but wouldn’t he also be troubled?
The Politico reports on recent remarks made by our symbolic “first black President” Bill “Bubba” Clinton reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s March on Washington:
Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the historic βI Have a Dreamβ speech, former President Bill Clinton said he believes Martin Luther King, Jr. would be βpleased that America is more diverse and not just a biracial country and that we seem to be doing all right with it.β
βHeβd be pleased that there is more equal opportunity politically and an African-American had been elected president,β Clinton said inΒ videoΒ provided to NBCβs βMeet the Pressβ by the Clinton Foundation. βHeβd be pleased that African-Americans are competitive in Senate races and other major elections around the country. Heβd pleased that America is more diverse and not just a biracial country and that we seem to be doing all right with it.β
Calling it a βpoetic and powerful and beautiful and wiseβ speech, Clinton noted that he doesnβt think the βfundamental meaning of the speech has changed at all.β But, he added, βthe meaning has changed for me mostly in realizing that it has a global message.β
(PHOTOS: Scenes from the March on Washington)
βIf you look all around the world, the people that are embracing diversity and the idea that every person should have an equal chance to develop his or her God-given abilities to live his or her best life story, wherever that happens, people are doing well,β Clinton said.
MLK, Jr. probably would be “pleased” today at the progress Clinton talks about, that we have a black President, and that there is less racism in America now than there was during his time and it is undeniable that advancements in the black community have been made. But I think it’s also on the mark to assert he’d be deeply troubled by a few things: First, the disgusting tactic by the left to frame all criticism of prominent black figures as being based on nothing more than racism. Equally troubling are the problems disproportionately plaguing the black community right here in America, problems that weren’t “epidemics” back during the day of MLK, Jr. but that most definitely are now thanks to decades of Democrat “feel good” policies that, on the surface, were promoted by “Great Society” proponents like President LBJ as Β “helpful to the Β poor” but in reality were designed to buy the votes of vulnerable minorities during volatile times – including black people – and the result was a whole new kind of enslavement for poor whites and blacks alike: to Uncle Sam.
What would MLK, Jr. think of the following statistics?
- Pew Research – 8/21/13:Β Black unemployment rate is consistently twice that of whites
- CNN’s Don Lemon – 7/27/13: Β Over 72% of black babies are born out of wedlockΒ (67% are fatherless)
- Ben Carson – 8/28/13: The epidemic of black on black crime, and the high dropout rate
We’ve come a long way in America on race, but we still have a long way to go. Until the left can get beyond yelling “racism” every time one of their pet “minority” policy ideas is (rightly) criticized for bringing more harm than good to the American people, and until we as a society can advance beyond the victimhood mentality Democrats still opportunistically and shamelessly promote in order to stay in power, the black community will continue to struggle at a disproportionate rate. And if you’re a black liberal/Democrat reading this who believes white conservatives shouldn’t be allowed to have a voice at the table on this issue, just remember that we are all in this together, that we all benefit from more people growing up to be free, productive members of society, so we should all be allowed input in the national conversation on race. Β Remember: MLK, Jr. said to stop judging people based on the color of their skin, and instead do so by the content of their character. Β Now is a good a time as any for those who haven’t taken that advice to start.
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