Conservative radio host and Fox News commentator Glenn Beck is hosting a rally in Washington, D.C., Saturday on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech — but he says the date was not chosen intentionally.
“Whites don’t own Abraham Lincoln,” Beck said in a recent broadcast of his Fox News show. “Blacks don’t own Martin Luther King. Those are American icons, American ideas, and we should just talk about character, and that’s really what this event is about. It’s about honoring character.”
The “Restoring Honor Rally,” which has Sarah Palin booked to speak, will taking place at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday- the sight of Dr. King’s speech – and is intended to “celebrate America by honoring our heroes,” according to the event’s website.
Beck, who has called President Obama a racist, says the rally is not political, and will even spend time celebrating Dr. King.
Meanwhile…
Rev. Al Sharpton will also hold an event in D.C. on the same day to honor the 47th anniversary of the famous speech.
“When we heard about Glenn Beck, it was puzzling,” Sharpton told the New York Daily News. “Because if you read Dr. King’s speech, it just doesn’t gel with what Mr. Beck or Mrs. Palin are representing.
Beck is expecting approximately 100,000 people at the event.
For readers who live in the DC area or are familiar with its metro system, writer Jason Linkins wrote a hilarious piece last week about a real visitors guide from rally organizers warning attendees to avoid certain stops on the Orange and Blue Lines, and to stay away from the Green and Yellow Lines altogether.
Linkins wrote in his Huffington Post piece: ”As someone who rides the Green and Yellow Lines all the time, I can assure you that there are no ‘rules’ that state these subway lines must be avoided at all times, especially at night. But then, I guess I’m not using ‘A Cliche-Ridden Guide To Avoiding The Black People On The Subway In Washington’ as a rulebook.
