Dr. King Is Safely Dead

“Dr. King’s faith and his love for humanity led him and so many other heroes to courageously stand up for civil rights of African Americans. Through his bravery and sacrifice, Dr. King opened the eyes and lifted the conscience of our nation. He stirred the hearts of our people to recognize the dignity written in every human soul.” – Donald Trump, Remarks, January 12, 2018

“He called for America to live up to its promise—to make all Americans free and equal. His words—and his example—inspire us now. – Speaker Paul Ryan

“Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & his service to this great country. I am honored to be First Lady of a nation that continually strives for equality & justice for all. ” – Melania Trump

It is repugnant to hear Republicans and Trump supporters mouthing platitudes about Dr. King as if they cared about any of the things he stood for. Justice for the poor, for minorities, for the marginalized, for the elderly, and for the weak is completely antithetical to modern conservative practices and policies. Their dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest outlook makes a mockery of the teachings of Dr. King as well as those of Jesus.

Today, when they speak in glowing terms about Dr. King and his legacy, while they are anything less than incensed by the racism in the oval office, please take a minute to openly mock them for the calculating sycophants that they are. Believing him to be “safely dead” they dirty the memory of Dr. King with their insincere praise and their mean policies. We, like Dr. King, need to call them out and make them accountable for the hate and misery they support and spread. This is how we honor his  legacy and show that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not “safely dead.”

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Now That He Is Safely Dead

By Carl Wendell Hines

Now that he is safely dead,
Let us Praise him.
Now that he is safely dead,
Let us Praise him.
Build monuments to his glory.
Sing Hosannas to his name.

Dead men make such convenient Heroes.
They cannot rise to challenge the images
We would fashion from their Lives.
It is easier to build monuments
Than to make a better world.

So now that he is safely dead,
We, with eased consciences, will
Teach our children that he was a great man,
Knowing that the cause for which he
Lived is still a cause
And the dream for which he died
Is still a dream.