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Very insightful analysis as to how quotes get mangled. I feel like the only thing "new" about this event is how quickly it happened. The retweeted quote is so

Very insightful analysis as to how quotes get mangled. I feel like the only thing "new" about this event is how quickly it happened. The retweeted quote is so in keeping with Dr. King's beliefs it is no surprise that so many people would attribute it to him. In contrast with the real quote, though, it is really clear just how much more eloquent a rhetorician Dr. King was. Every time I read (or reread) him, I'm blown away. In my mind, the saddest thing about this is that people who don't realize the quote isn't really a quote might walk away with the impression that he wasn't as amazing a writer as he was.

hugh3 15y ago
The retweeted quote is so in keeping with Dr. King's beliefs it is no surprise that so many people would attribute it to him. Except if you think about MLK's life you'd think "What the hell context would this have been in? Who is this dead 'enemy' who killed 'thousands'?" The (fake) quote does come across to me as a bit too holier-than-thou. It's a form of cost-free conspicuous po-facedness to which you set your facebook status to mark yourself as being morally superior to the less sophisticated USA-USA chanting crowd. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing MLK would have said, because MLK wasn't all that into "Hey look I'm better than you" type announcements. There's a scene in Return of the Jedi where the Super Star Destroyer crashes into the Death Star. Everybody else on the bridge cheers, but Admiral Ackbar looks sad and bows his head, acknowleding the awfulness of the loss of life even if they were evil enemies who were trying to kill everyone. The listed quote is propagated by Ackbar wannabees with a George Lucas level view of what being morally sophisticated looks like.
- kelnos 15y ago
  So then how do you express the sentiment? I felt very uncomfortable hearing about the "celebrations" occurring after bin Laden's death. How do you say something like, "dude, death sucks, no matter who's on the receiving end of it," without coming off as playing the moral-superiority card? On a side note, your post has a bit of a holier-than-thou feel to it.
  - innes 15y ago
    I think it's a property of the sentiment itself, rather than the quote. But that's just me - I like it when evil people meet their comeuppance; I thought it was good that OBL was executed, although I'm not the air-punching, brewski chugging type. If I were to find and post a quote indicating my sentiments, no doubt there'd be people thinking I was a dick; it's not going to keep me awake at night.
    - hugh3 15y ago
      My feelings were similar. On one hand it is perfectly normal and natural to be happy to see justice served at the end of a gun... we humans are social creatures, and the desire which we have to see wrongdoers punished is a normal and natural part of our emotional makeup. On the other hand, as a civilized person I think that actively glorying in the death of an enemy is a bit unseemly. So I felt a bit of quiet satisfaction, made a few pithy comments to mark the occasion, and poured myself a glass of my most expensive whisky. So basically in answer to the grandparent question: I think the appropriate response is to keep quiet about it. Let other folks express their own feelings about this historic occasion without feeling the need to elevate yourself above them.
      - JoeAltmaier 15y ago
        I also think it unseemly; especially when the enemy is one of circumstance and in a better world... But this guy? He killed men, women and children to make a political point. He sacrificed his own, to make his point. He sat back in his mansion, rich and pampered, paying to have people killed. I admit to a little glorying, to an unseemly degree. Just this once.
        lukeschlather 15y ago
        >But this guy? He killed men, women and children to make a political point. He sacrificed his own, to make his point. He sat back in his mansion, rich and pampered, paying to have people killed. The same could be said about thousands of people on both sides of this war. Personally, as long as there are people willing to take his place, I'm not rejoicing one bit.

hugh3 15y ago

The retweeted quote is so in keeping with Dr. King's beliefs it is no surprise that so many people would attribute it to him. Except if you think about MLK's life you'd think "What the hell context would this have been in? Who is this dead 'enemy' who killed 'thousands'?" The (fake) quote does come across to me as a bit too holier-than-thou. It's a form of cost-free conspicuous po-facedness to which you set your facebook status to mark yourself as being morally superior to the less sophisticated USA-USA chanting crowd. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing MLK would have said, because MLK wasn't all that into "Hey look I'm better than you" type announcements. There's a scene in Return of the Jedi where the Super Star Destroyer crashes into the Death Star. Everybody else on the bridge cheers, but Admiral Ackbar looks sad and bows his head, acknowleding the awfulness of the loss of life even if they were evil enemies who were trying to kill everyone. The listed quote is propagated by Ackbar wannabees with a George Lucas level view of what being morally sophisticated looks like.

kelnos 15y ago
So then how do you express the sentiment? I felt very uncomfortable hearing about the "celebrations" occurring after bin Laden's death. How do you say something like, "dude, death sucks, no matter who's on the receiving end of it," without coming off as playing the moral-superiority card? On a side note, your post has a bit of a holier-than-thou feel to it.
- innes 15y ago
  I think it's a property of the sentiment itself, rather than the quote. But that's just me - I like it when evil people meet their comeuppance; I thought it was good that OBL was executed, although I'm not the air-punching, brewski chugging type. If I were to find and post a quote indicating my sentiments, no doubt there'd be people thinking I was a dick; it's not going to keep me awake at night.
  - hugh3 15y ago
    My feelings were similar. On one hand it is perfectly normal and natural to be happy to see justice served at the end of a gun... we humans are social creatures, and the desire which we have to see wrongdoers punished is a normal and natural part of our emotional makeup. On the other hand, as a civilized person I think that actively glorying in the death of an enemy is a bit unseemly. So I felt a bit of quiet satisfaction, made a few pithy comments to mark the occasion, and poured myself a glass of my most expensive whisky. So basically in answer to the grandparent question: I think the appropriate response is to keep quiet about it. Let other folks express their own feelings about this historic occasion without feeling the need to elevate yourself above them.
    - JoeAltmaier 15y ago
      I also think it unseemly; especially when the enemy is one of circumstance and in a better world... But this guy? He killed men, women and children to make a political point. He sacrificed his own, to make his point. He sat back in his mansion, rich and pampered, paying to have people killed. I admit to a little glorying, to an unseemly degree. Just this once.
      - lukeschlather 15y ago
        >But this guy? He killed men, women and children to make a political point. He sacrificed his own, to make his point. He sat back in his mansion, rich and pampered, paying to have people killed. The same could be said about thousands of people on both sides of this war. Personally, as long as there are people willing to take his place, I'm not rejoicing one bit.