This afternoon, talk show guru Rush Limbaugh attempted to draw the connection between those who support some limits on firearms, and their alleged idealism of Martin Luther King Jr.’s adherence to non-violence. A bit of the transcript from Limbaugh’s website:
”If a lot of African-Americans back in the sixties had guns and the legal right to use them for self-defense, do you think they woulda needed Selma? I don’t know. I’m just asking. If John Lewis, who says he was beat upside the head, if John Lewis had had a gun, would he have been beat upside the head on the bridge? And these people that think like [Tom] Brokaw are all over the media. This is the way they’re looking at this.
“So now what this has become, there is still slavery, there is still bigotry, there is still racism. It’s concentrated among people who are devoted to defending the Second Amendment, and they primarily live in the South. They are white, and they’re extremists, and they’re religious, and this is what they honestly believe.”
Here’s the official response, in a news release from U.S. Rep. John Lewis:
“Our goal in the Civil Rights Movement was not to injure or destroy but to build a sense of community, to reconcile people to the true oneness of all humanity. African Americans in the ‘60s could have chosen to arm themselves, but we made a conscious decision not to. We were convinced that peace could not be achieved through violence. Violence begets violence, and we believed the only way to achieve peaceful ends was through peaceful means. We took a stand against an unjust system, and we decided to use this faith as our shield and the power of compassion as our defense.
“And that is why this nation celebrates the genius and the elegance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work and philosophy. Through the power of non-violent action, Dr. King accomplished something that no movement, no action of government, no war, no legislation, or strategy of politics had ever achieved in this nation’s history. It was non-violence that not only brought an end to legalized segregation and racial discrimination, but Dr. King’s peaceful work changed the hearts of millions of Americans who stood up for justice and rejected the injury of violence forever.”
Lewis, who’s wife was buried last week, will be in Washington to attend the luncheon that follows President Barack Obama’s inauguration.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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65 comments Add your comment
Weetamoe
January 19th, 2013
7:58 am
I don’t think anyone *worships* Rush, and the revenue he generates obviously makes him very valuable to his sponsors. And he does not cost me a cent. On the other hand, Obama worship is taking hard earned money out of the pockets of those who are still required to pay taxes–though he has made quite a few of his worshippers exempt.
Don Abernethy
January 19th, 2013
8:04 am
I do not think John Lewis wonders about anything because he is so wrapped up in racism.
Edmund Ruffin
January 19th, 2013
8:14 am
Agree with the first commenter………………WHO CARES? Did John Lewis say anything about Selma, he always does, everytime I’ve heard him speak he mentions getting bopped on the head at Selma. I’m sure he got bopped on the head, it shows. I’ve talked to Mr. Lewis and I have always hated to tell him, and I never did, that I was in Selma in March, 1965, too. He is personally a gentleman, but politically an anti-American.
barking frog
January 19th, 2013
8:31 am
google Black Panthers with guns in L.A. and you will find
out why the ‘non-violent’ movement was successful….
hiram
January 19th, 2013
8:37 am
Chip Rogers will make $150,000 at GPB
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/chip-rogers-will-make-150000-at-gpb/nT2Nc/
Brother Deal is out to top Sonny, and it looks like he’s going to be successful.
Buymadeinusjobs
January 19th, 2013
8:37 am
Sobelle, you are right Thurmond was a hypocrite as were slave owners in old days, Who is 100% white, black or purple? Look at ex Gov. Arnold of CA, it is alright to fool around with household help.
It is like Republicans who preach morals, pass laws on social issues but are the worst in their own lives/hypocrites. Look at ex house speaker Grinich, having an affair with his present third wife while impeaching President: Penthouse was going to name names,Many house repub. left congress. De sourlais, TN had his ex wife/girlfriend get abortion, he was doctor and Southern Baptist always vote these sinners in; abortion alright for me but not you, sure would be nice if someone dug in backgrounds of all GA politicians especially doctors.
MeMe
January 19th, 2013
8:48 am
Love to see all the “Who Cares”.
Why would you not press “next” on your ghost keyboard, instead of commenting if you DIDN’T CARE?
Explain that one please … someone …. anyone?
Larry
January 19th, 2013
8:53 am
Who on here actually believes that John Lewis himself wrote the above reply?
Answer: no one who is personally acquainted with him.
Buymadeinusjobs
January 19th, 2013
9:18 am
For all right wing radio/TV listeners,
How is your pay now that only 7% of private corporation workers have unions.
You worry about union political donations for democrats but what about corporations charging more for products and giving it to repub. political organizations. Who do you think had more money to give?
Right wing rich TV/Radio folks supported by wealthy/mult-naional corporations have brainwashed all of you that you will be rich and that unions made your jobs go overseas when
Wealthy took jobs overseas to hire workers for $1 an hour, who among you can afford to work for $1 an hour.
Over 30 years of Republican policy of supply side/trickle down which give tax cuts to wealthy and they will create good paying jobs in USA is not true.
Good paying manufacturing jobs have been destroyed which has destroyed the middle class[70% of manufacturing workers has a high school education and not all college educated are getting jobs because computer, banking jobs etc are being sent overseas too.
Reagan started busting unions and preaching against them and started unfair trade agreements. which have led to a big trade deficit for many years.
Workers only power was sticking together in unions and now you have too many people competing for jobs so pay keeps going down.
The income between rich and poor is biggest difference since 1920’s.
Over last 30 years: Income up 251% for wealthy, workers up 12% inflation adjusted. Google
Every time they pushed trade agreements , they said there were going to be many great jobs for American Workers ,,where are they.????
A tariff on everything sold to American consumers but not made by American workers would help pay for food stamps, medicaid, unemployment for unemployed, low paid workers and their families and if any money left.
Do infrastructure/ to hire workers and pay them $12. an hour so they can pay social security payroll taxes, medicare taxes and income taxes to local, state and federal levels to pay bills for defense, teachers, police. This would reduce debt/deficit more that anything if you could get people working and making enough money to pay taxes.
Rick Jones
January 19th, 2013
9:20 am
Jim Galloway manipulated the quote to create a second paragraph and with quotation marks around the second paragraph to indicate it wasn’t connected to the first paragraph. It changes the context to imply that Rush believes that only white southern racists believe in the 2nd Amendment. The line stating: “And these people that think like [Tom] Brokaw are all over the media. This is the way they’re looking at this.” is meant to go with the following paragraph as it was not two paragraphs originally. What Rush was saying is that the liberal media belieive that only white southern racists are in support of the 2nd Amendment. What a hack job the way Jim Galloway puts the quote together to totally change the meaning. Always an agenda.
Veteran Observer
January 19th, 2013
9:22 am
Jim Galloway shouldn’t have written this the week the man buried his wife! While I disagree with the congressman on most issues, it is inappropriate to challenge his views at this time. Rush should not have mentioned him as his example and we should not confront the man for awhile. Enough said.
td
January 19th, 2013
10:40 am
Cherokee
January 19th, 2013
5:25 am
Actually td, Obama’s economic philosophy is what has historically been that of moderate Republicans.
I know you and your friends like to toss around the socialist slur, but it’s just not reality, no matter how many times you say it.
1: Obamacare is the biggest shift towards socialism as this country has ever had.
2: Obama has stated several times that he wants to be as much a “transformational” President for progressives as Regan was for Conservatives. Being a moderate Republican, like you claim, is not transformational.
td
January 19th, 2013
10:50 am
Buymadeinusjobs
January 19th, 2013
9:18 am
For all right wing radio/TV listeners,
How is your pay now that only 7% of private corporation workers have unions.
My pay is a great deal better. My skill set is paid to the level it should be according to my education, production level and work experience level instead of paying all the people with no marketable skill sets and no education unearned money based on nothing more the seniority.
Rainy
January 19th, 2013
12:00 pm
Obviously what Rush is saying is rooted in a more broad reproach of the sensibilities inherent in all of the United States until the 1960’s, yet still evident today. If you take away the rights granted by the constitution, it allows the government to do as they please, regardless of inalienable rights. Had these rights been granted to the black community and the white community and all other ethnic communities of the US there would have been no reason for the Civil Rights Movement, hence the walk to Selma. Perhaps this idea is too lofty for the Obamatards.
Capitol Idea
January 19th, 2013
9:01 pm
Rush… Who.