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Glenn Beck Turns MLK's Dream to Nightmare on Anniversary

Glenn Beck. (Photo: Creative Commons/Gage Skidmore)

Glenn Beck Turns MLK's Dream to Nightmare on Anniversary

August 28 marks the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
"I Have a Dream" speech, and while crowds gather to celebrate the
anniversary in Washington, DC, they'll be joined by an unlikely visitor:
Glenn Beck.

August 28 marks the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
"I Have a Dream" speech, and while crowds gather to celebrate the
anniversary in Washington, DC, they'll be joined by an unlikely visitor:
Glenn Beck.

The talk show host plans to use the occasion
to hold his own "Restoring Honor" rally with Sarah Palin to celebrate
US troops. And he'll also make a speech that he's calling, "I Have a
Plan." Beck insists his rally isn't a political ploy, but a way to
simply pay homage to the troops.

"There will be absolutely no politics involved," Beck told the Washington Post
earlier this month. "This rally will honor the troops, unite the
American people under the principles of integrity and truth, and make a
pledge to restore honor within ourselves and our country."

According to 9 News Now,
activists and organizations like the National Urban League, the NAACP
and Rev. Al Sharpton, will be holding a countermarch from Dunbar High
School to the future site of the Martin Luther King memorial on Ohio
Drive. Mike Morial, president of the National Urban League said, "When
we heard he was going to hold his own rally we knew we had to
respond...All Americans are a part of the dream but that dream should not
be politicized."

To counter Beck's rally, a group of artists will erect a 40 foot statue to memorialize the legendary civil rights leader. On a website, the activists lay out their claims:

We
don't intend to let Beck or any other demagogues belittle the Dream,
which is alive in the hearts and deeds of millions of Americans. We are
providing an alternative for those who refuse to listen to his lies.
While Beck rants, we will celebrate - and defend - Dr. King's legacy and vision with a striking art installation on the National Mall featuring the words and images of King.

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