It seems that as the election nears, right-wing groups are trying to work Martin Luther King Jr. into their efforts to convince African American voters to oppose marriage equality and vote for John McCain. But since MLK would never have supported their political agenda, the Right is reduced to using his niece, Alveda King, to imply that he would.
Here’s is a radio ad from Yes2Marriage, the organization fighting to to pass the anti-equality marriage amendment in Florida, featuring King:
Hi, I’m Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A “yes” vote on 2 does only one thing: it defines marriage as a union of one man and one woman. No one loses benefits. Everyone’s civil rights are safe. Don’t be mislead by dishonest ads about benefits. Protecting marriage between one man and one woman simply protects our children and grandchildren. Please, vote “yes” on 2.
And here she is showing up again, this time alongside Harry Jackson, in an ad from the right-wing group Let Freedom Ring, called “Vote MLK Values” which is aimed at convincing African Americans not to vote for Barack Obama:
Narrator: Voting is about more than just picking one image over another. For instance, the consequences of not voting your values …
King: Marting Luther King Jr. had a dream, and I have the same dream; it’s in my genes: that people will be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
Jackson: If we choose a candidate based on race-based affiliation alone, we may choose people who’s values are at odd with our deeply-held beliefs.
King: We can never begin to say it was a dream of Martin Luther King that a person would be elected because of his or her color. No. It was the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. that the character of our civic leaders would line up with the character that is outlined in a book that he held very dear; the Bible.
Jackson: This is the hour in which we need to trust the Bible and vote and vote consistently with what the Bible says. We need to vote to change our culture based on The Word, not based on a party.
Narrator: It’s time to think beyond the rhetoric.
