[bencarter]

exactly. He wasn't perfect. He did some bad things. But he did some great things as well. He was a great man, and being a man, was fallible. All these attacks on his character and trying to tear him down are transparent attempts to belittle his accomplishments, to say 'well, this awful, awful man put his life on the line to change these things, and since he was bad, his ideas must be bad and since his ideas are bad, blacks should go back to separate drinking fountains.' The veneer of morality over blatant racism.

[peacebaby]

Sometimes I think we Republicans are becoming too rigid against our fellow Republicans who might have differing opinions.

In my mind's eye, it's the Democratic party which is filled with hate and pious notions, not my party.

[mrustow]

exactly. He wasn't perfect. He did some bad things. But he did some great things as well. He was a great man, and being a man, was fallible. All these attacks on his character and trying to tear him down are transparent attempts to belittle his accomplishments, to say 'well, this awful, awful man put his life on the line to change these things, and since he was bad, his ideas must be bad and since his ideas are bad, blacks should go back to separate drinking fountains.' The veneer of morality over blatant racism.

Nonsense. His ideas, to the extent that he had any, were bad, too. (Exception: non-violence.)