Civil Disobedience? the Revisionist History of American Protest
Shortly before his death over half of Americans did not view Martin Luther King favorably. Now it would be easy to dismiss this as the ignorant, racist sentiments our society has since antiquated. However I believe this fear of change never left but merely adapted to the times.
Sit ins have since been replaced with kneelings and the rhetoric has changed but the core issue is still there. "It's disrespectful". Resturaunt owners said this to Martin as he sat where he was not supposed to and now say it to activists marching the streets of Ferguson or kneeling during the anthem . Martin spoke extensively on the dangers of the "White Moderate" and rightfully so. The same ideas of change at the oppressors pace were hurled at the rebellious youth with the radical idea to disrupt the societal norm of segregation.
The fact of the matter is people will cite any reason to resist change. Today it's opposition claims to act out of patriotism or respect for veterans. During King's time it was state rights. Regardless this is merely a farce to spread their narrative without being accountable for its malicious implication. Morality is undoubtebly a subject where hindsight is 20/20.
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