King's bold declaration that she'll proudly stand with Beck on the Lincoln Monument at his "Restoring Honor" rally on August 28 was tepid compared to an even more defiant press release she sent out to urge conservatives to boycott what she brands "America's abortion industry." In the release she said that the protest "is in my genes." That was, of course, another not-so-subtle nod to the legacy of August 28, 1963 Dr. King-led march on Washington. None of this should really surprise anyone familiar with Alveda King's history.
Alveda King has been on the campaign circuit for more than a decade pushing a discriminatory, anti-gay marriage, anti-abortion, hard right family values message. In 1998, she barnstormed the country speaking at rallies against gay rights legislation. Alveda wasn't the only King family member to stump for a hard right agenda in opposition to abortion and gay rights. Her cousin, Bernice King, MLK's daughter, has preached the hell and damnation line against what she considers heathens. In her view, that's liberals, progressives, feminists, gay rights advocates, and modern day civil rights leaders. In case anyone missed the King family connection, her group was named "King for America."
WATCH 'TODAY SHOW' COVERAGE OF THE GLENN BECK RALLY
Gay rights groups everywhere countered King's "repent and save yourself" message to gays by citing public statements by King's widow, Coretta Scott King, in which she said that her husband would be a champion of gay rights if he were alive.
Alveda and Bernice, and other black evangelicals have marched, protested, written letters and petitions denouncing gay marriage and abortion. Some polls even show that black evangelicals' hostility to gay marriage is much stronger than that of white evangelicals.
So Alveda's decision to pair up with Beck in Washington was a natural one for her. Beck gives her a national stage and tons of media exposure to push her conservative values message. In turn, she gives Beck something just as valued, the cover of the King name. Beck's repeatedly bragged to audiences in the build up to his rally that he and conservatives are the inheritors and protectors of King's dream. In a preposterous flight of rhetoric he fantasized that he and other conservatives could see themselves beaten by police, set upon by dogs, doused with fire hoses, and jailed on trumped-up charges.
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