5 Feet of Fury

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Glenn Beck and Martin Luther King

From my new post at David Horowitz’s NewsReal blog:

I listen to a great deal of conservative talk radio. And one popular talking point with callers lately has been that Glenn Beck was “disrespecting Martin Luther King” for holding his rally on the 47th anniversary of Dr. King’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech at the same location.

Now, I’d be willing to bet cash money that few of those outraged callers remembered that King’s speech was delivered on August 28 all on their own, but had only learned and memorized the date this year, thanks to Beck.

I also somehow doubt any of them had spent the previous forty-seven August 28ths deep in solemn prayer and remembrance.

According to a recent poll, one quarter of Americans don’t even know the significance of the 4th of July. For a growing number of citizens, the date “November 22″ no longer carries with it the echo of somber drums.

Yet we’re supposed to believe that “August 28″ has long been seared in the nation’s collective memory. ..