The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day

The tone of this thread seems to be that several states felt justified in not adopting the MLK holiday because there were so few African-Americans in those states - however, thinking that Dr. King worked only to benefit blacks is erroneous and another example of WHY race matters in this nation. Dr. King worked to improve the conditions for everyone - people of color, women, and poor people - because, according to his God, as (this nation) has done to the LEAST of these, so it has done to Him.

What took Dr. King to Memphis at the time of his assassination? He was fighting for better pay and working conditions for garbagemen - several of whom had been killed (crushed to death) by malfunctioning garbage compactors on their trucks. Before that, he took an unpopular position against the Viet Nam war, and was labeled a communist agitator, isolated from the halls of power, and even vilified in the popular press of the day. Before that, he advocated for the ability of blacks to get the same educational and social opportunities as whites. He suffered death threats, assasination attempts, and lived a subsistence lifestyle when, with his fame and educational attainment, he could have taught at the nation's finest HBCU's and built wealth for his family.

How does Dr. King's service benefit whites?
He worked to restore the moral compass of a nation; even with his personal faults, his goal for this nation was for it to become self-actualied. What do I mean? He wanted this nation to live out the true meaning of its creed, that all (people) were created equal. He desired that Americans would evaluate people based upon their personal characteristics, not on their physical appearance. His work led to legislation to ensure pay equality for white women, which has raised the standard of living for white households tremendously.

Dr. King was a visionary, driven not by the politics of the day but by an overarching quest to do what he flet was right. We honor him today because, in retrospect, we realize that we are better off because of his struggle and self-sacrifice.

This Frank M. Boone is a classic example for why this country got it right in voting for MLK day. Forget about Frank, he's a lost cause. But the children will grow up hearing about a man who put his life on the line for helping his people. What good has Frank ever done for his? Not much, I'll bet. Ignorant haters are a dime-a-dozen, peace makers are few and far between.

John McCain was born in Panama in 1936. That makes him 47 in 1983. How do you get "young congressman" out of that?
This was a middle aged man who had had 20 years of adult life to make up his mind on things.
His fomative years were spent in and around a US Navy that wouldn't allow blacks to be anything but cooks and stewards.
It's nice that he finds it politically expedient to have a more enlightened position on race now, but at 47 you don't get a pass for not knowing any better. This man was demostrably a bigot well into his middle years. So do you really believe that he isn't now?

Posted by: iaintbacchus | Apr 4, 2008 12:58:31 PM

Do you consider Senator Robert Byrd as being politically expedient!?! He was a sure fire died in the wool racist, but I bet dollars to doughnuts that you don't consider him a racist! Take off your personal partisan blinders when you start throwing mud on someone!

I wonder if you will comment on the story that Barak Hussein Obama told about wanting to hit his White Friend when he empathised with him about being a minority. After all from what we see of the African American community violence does seem to be their first response to absolve any sort of conflict. When approxamently 14% of the U.S. population is responsible for approx. 50% of all violent crimes and murders in the U.S. you will have to admit that what Barak stated as his first thought was is par for the course.

MLK also plaguirzed his doctorate thesis, just didn't get caught till after he died. So.. I guess they should drop the Dr. in front of his name. from a person who everyone holds up to some high status for whining for his rights and everyone elses who were to pansy too and having such 'high' morals.. he actually didn't have much. :( So lay off John McCain guys. His mistake wasn't so dishonest compared too.

THINK JOHN MCCAIN MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF RACISM IN HIM? YA THINK?

Everyone seems to place all of SEN McCain's vote into a tidy little "racist" bag, but nobody wants to talk about the fact that he was a "representative" of Arizonans. The MLK holiday was not opposed by Arizonans due to any ill will towards Dr. King, it was opposed due to a lack of recognition for other civil rights leaders. Specifically the hispanic civil rights leaders of the same era. The desire, and end result of this opposition is a holiday that proposes reflection on the good that all civil rights leaders did, rather than one man (great though he was). It has nothing to do with the number of black constituents in Arizona, but it does have something to do with the amount of hispanic constituents whose civil rights struggles have been relegated as something seen as insignificant in the national perspective.

WestCoastMessenger posted "SO WHAT? blacks aren't voting for him anyway."

Point is, my friend, if elected McCain will be their president too.

McCain apologizes for his vote yet Arizona still does not observe MLK day. Maybe someday the rest of the republicans (like Barbara Bush) will realize that being bigots and racist is wrong...just plain and simply wrong.

John McCain was born in Panama in 1936. That makes him 47 in 1983. How do you get "young congressman" out of that?
This was a middle aged man who had had 20 years of adult life to make up his mind on things.
His fomative years were spent in and around a US Navy that wouldn't allow blacks to be anything but cooks and stewards.
It's nice that he finds it politically expedient to have a more enlightened position on race now, but at 47 you don't get a pass for not knowing any better. This man was demostrably a bigot well into his middle years. So do you really believe that he isn't now?

Don't get me started on the media...

Why do they ignore the fact that he's broken the campaign finance laws that he championed?!? Why does the media jump on Barack and Hillary about tax records while ignoring the fact that McCain never released his? He also keeps confusing Shia and Sunni, and thinks that building military bases in the heart of the muslim world is the solution, when it's the problem. The media really disgusts me. Thanks Tap!

"All I'll say is that sometimes while reading, it can be easy to read journalists' political preferences."

That's BS. I've read many articles about Hil and Barack that "made it seem obvious" where the ol' Tapper leans. He just does what all jounalists' should do, hold these political truths up to the light, ask the questions we want asked, instead of letting MSM always dictate the narrative and decide what we should be focusing on.

"He (McCain) will rest on his record on his efforts to make all Americans, including blacks, successful, especially in the military."

This is stated in the context of Martin Luther King day. What little I know about Dr. King, I don't think he organized those marches seeking a better pay grade for black draftees and in fact, given Dr. King's opposition to the war would probably have been offended by the notion.

McCain as a young congressman in 1983 voted against a federal holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It doesn't matter what the black population of Arizona was at the time. Voting against it was just wrong. Mccain was 47 years old in a state full of Goldwater mentalities. Gov. Evan Mecham was against it and McCain did nothing to change the mindset of those involved. What was McCain's reason for being against the MLK national holiday? We will never know.

All I'll say is that sometimes while reading, it can be easy to read journalists' political preferences.

Most glaringly, McCain as a young congressman in 1983... if you can call 47 young.

Most people would be surprised at how extreme and conservative McCain's voting record - across the board - was before 2000. It was only when he got presidential ambitions and with the far right slot already being occupied by his opponent, Bush, who'd wrapped up the Christian fundamentalist vote, that the Straight Talker morphed into a reasonable moderate. Of course, being the media darling that he is, we don't hear mention of it.

This is why I am not voting for that fool McCain, oh yet and he want to stay Iraq for 100 years what a fool, Vopte Obama

WestCoastMessanger, your comments are pathetetic, could you forget a bit bput obama and Hillary and let us look at MLK and his achievements for Americans and the world? McCain has made serious misktakes and he is trying to address them. But you are continuing to insult people and their great leaders. You cannot understand that Hillary the "inevitable" has lost the primaries. Hillary the Bosnian sniper, the General Commander in Chief of Bosnia is finished. You may wish to go with McCain a 3rd term WBush-Cheney-McCain. But do not hurt people's feelings and their love for MLK who is a great hero more than you and McCain alltogether. Shame on you. God bless America, God bless Obama. OBAMA08.

Similar to Hillary Clinton, John McCain changes his tune to fit his audience! also they are never sure when they are telling the Truth!

With Hilary wild claims about Bosnia and Northern Ireland, John McCain and rich embellishments with Truth about his rescue in Vietnam and his treatment, witnesses report conflict greatly, but then it would not sound great.

Barack Obama at least keeps his Dignity - don’t be fooled from McCain and Clinton about experience, AGE does not always guarantee the right candidate, these two Over 60’s seem to suffer from Memory Problems!