TKC Blog Question: How Can Kansas City Civil Rights Leaders Renew Commitment To Nonviolence On MLK Day???

The past year has seen an explosion of violence on Kansas City streets and amid the political discourse.

There were 176 KCMO homicides in 2020 and #BLM riots on the Country Club Plaza cost police more than $2.1 MILLION in addition to widespread economic damage and job losses that now leaves the future of an iconic entertainment district in peril.

Just like many of the perpetrators of the recent Capitol insurrection, BLM rioters from across the political spectrum will not confront prosecution. In fact, the mayor and most of the council worked diligently to pardon activists caught up in the riot scene on the Plaza despite burned cars, violence against innocent people and law enforcement.

And all of this description is simply to note a truism in this cowtown and across the nation:

Nonviolence championed by MLK no longer resonates in the current political discourse.

Sorry, "mostly peaceful" protest doesn't count.

And so we repeat a critical question . . .

HOW CAN ANY LEADER EMBRACE THE LEGACY OF MLK WITHOUT ADVANCING THE PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE?!?

Sadly . . .

Screaming matches over equality and inclusion are more captivating and garner greater attention than hokey Judeo-Christian hope for harmony among all people.

Still, a commitment to peace and justice is likely the only hope for this nation, Kansas City, our community and even our personal lives. From gunfire on local streets to fighting words freely exchanged online . . . MLK's advancement of nonviolence as the guiding force for political engagement is really the only viable alternative to the chaos which currently rules the national dialogue.   

Sadly, a discussion of the philosophy underlying civil disobedience is always hijacked by thugs with their own agenda. 

The reality is that for all of his faults, MLK's greatest contribution to the American discourse has been mostly forgotten, even by those who invoke his name. Let's not forget that even during his own career MLK was pushed out of the limelight by his contemporaries and was shot to death leading a low-rent sanitation worker strike.  

And so, years-long Kansas City debate over a street dedicated to MLK resulted in a tough compromise, a despicable standoff inside of a church and an upcoming tribute that likely doesn't resonate with anyone under 50-years-old. 

Further reading . . .

Patch: MLK: The Doctrine of Non-Violence from Birmingham Jail

VOA: Americans Mark Martin Luther King Holiday Amid Pandemic, Political Violence

FE: Martin Luther King Jr.’s 6 Principles of Non-Violence

You decide . . .

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Damn good question.

      Delete
    2. Updated for modern times:
      NO FLAT SCREENS NO PEACE!

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  2. Keep the violence-prone MAGAT agitators far, far away.

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  3. BLM now rules and they hate MLK's words.

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  4. Will the fat fake hood rat revruns denounce violence against their own people?

    They preach racism and hate in their churches all day every day, it’s who and what they are.

    The city bribes them with lots of money to keep it down to a certain level of violence you know, to keep the dream alive amirite!

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  5. With the dem.s identity politics and the (((msm))) stoking racial hatred and animosity violence is inevitable.

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  6. Colonel Angus1/18/21, 12:22 PM

    Happy Birthday Robert E. Lee !

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  7. Happy James Earl Ray Day. A true American hero..

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  8. Byron Funkhouser1/18/21, 12:27 PM

    The white nationalists get a lot of mileage from the constant killing of Black men by other Black men.

    Today is Martin Luther King Day.

    Honor him by not killing a fellow Black man.

    The constant revenge killings most stop. Sardinia & Sicily are good examples of what not to do. Be the one to stop killing.

    A mechanism should be put in place where illegal weapons can be surrendered without reprisal. The killings must stop!

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  9. Let be honest. The non-violence movement of 1964 may have started some reforms but clearly after 60 years the black community still struggles with inequality. An although older black Americans have been content with the slow progress they have made in 60 years, the younger generation will no longer be content with Democrats and Republicans not making serious reforms in their community when it comes to police violence, income disparities, poor access to healthcare, and no quality jobs or education. In the future, as minorities become the majority, more violence will happen as the white man tries to hold on to power.

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    Replies
    1. Lets also be honest by admitting that most black people live in cities governed by fellow black politicians and single party rule
      So stop blaming white people for the ineptitude of your own “leaders”

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    2. Donald Trump gave Americans the best job market in half a century and did the job for FREE yet left wing totalitarians thanked him with their infamous H8 and contempt. What is Q. CLUELESS doing for you ? And look how much he TAKES.

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  10. Byron Funkhouser1/18/21, 12:34 PM


    By the way, I might mention I'm packing my U-Haul as we speak, for a move to Kansas City. I like the way things are shaping up there, and I believe I can be a big help to the LGBT and BLM communities. I look forward to meting many of you. I have rented a home in the Northeast. I will advise when settled in.

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  11. ^^^ blame the despicable dimwits and the fat fake revs for the “slow Change” there’s money to be made by keeping the koloreds riled up and confused.

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  12. Kansas City and Jackson County has been ruled by the democrats for 80 years. The question should be : Why is this democrat utopia a failure?

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  13. How about you all stop killing each other. Please and thank you.

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  14. we, the white people, could help with the "renew commitment" by just simply staying out of the way or distance yourselves from the others.

    i've been doing that since the riot{s} and life has been easier and less hectic.

    i will still help those in a dire health, life or death situation though - no matter the race.

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  15. 12:34 ............ reads like a byron #2 u-haul comment.

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  16. Civil Rights leaders in KC are a joke. They have no idea what real civil rights are and what they really mean.

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  17. 4 years of violent BLM/Antifa D卐M☭CRAT sponsored violence, where even the 'presidential' campaign made bail for anarchists, looters, felons and arsonists and we are all gonna have a nice conversation where we sit around and braid each other's hair and talk about non violence.

    What a fuckin joke.

    Hell, yesterday they let another BLM activist who was at the Capital out without bail, while making damn sure the white boys are all set for court dates and wearing ankle bracelets.

    Their is now and has been a two tiered Star Chamber justice system that unequally punishes the newly defined "Enemies Of The State". Those enemies are categorically defined accordingly, as supporters of DJT. The incessant agitprop cascading like pearls before we swine from D卐M☭CRATs, Mt. Big Tech/Big Media/Olympus finds no purchase in my heart and is enraging, insulting and in actuality creates the cri de coeur of 74 million mouths and 74 million tongues of iron that stands against this Fascist filth on every field, in every conflict, in every heart that seeks that freedom and liberty now stripped away from us all. THEY WANT VIOLENCE WHILE TELLING YOU THEY DON'T WANT VIOLENCE WHILE SUCKER PUNCHING YOU FROM BEHIND.

    Why parse the words - they want us dead, stop pretending there are "Hearts And Minds" to win here. There are NO better angels on the shoulders of these totalitarian Fascist filth and they will, in short order, disabuse you of such jejune notions if you are unlucky enough to find yourselves in the crosshairs of the newly minted Fascist States of America.

    Social Justice Warriors = Violent Thugs in the streets. P.E.R.I.O.D.

    Repeated verification = justifiable belief.

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    Replies
    1. cri de coeur
      noun
      plural cris de coeur
      - an anguished cry of distress or indignation; outcry.

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    2. What a coincidence, we all want you dead too, chuck.

      Too bad you were never able to apply your "Repeated verification = justifiable belief" rule to the election.

      Try and use facts to justify your beliefs next time and see what happens.

      "I leave ya the field."

      I wish you were under it.

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  18. Team BLM will celebrate with a sacrifice today somewhere in town. Be by to paint the traditional red X in the street as commemoration.

    Murder
    Loves
    Kolorids

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  19. How many cops will rioting, seditious, traitorous MAGATS kill this week? Fucking MAGAT cockroaches...

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    Replies
    1. ^^^ You are very wrong and confused. Please take a breath and look past your misplaced blind rage at reality.

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  20. Dave is right more or less as there were failures in the leadership of the movement, because they had different groups taking charge, SNCC, CORE, NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership, BLM, and all were well meaning but confusing to the members of the movement. Finally, when SNCC insisted upon whites leaving the movement, it did not help but hurt in general. Then you have BLM movement that leans towards violence that a majority of American hates. When Doctor King was murdered, many of us felt abandoned by the rest of the leadership. King sought to unite us but upon his death the us and them or the current screams of racisms started. As many have said we the black race is our own worse enemy. Great things could have come from the Civil Rights act but as always the black race proved that when things are done to improve their lifestyle they fail to make it happen or work to make it happen.

    More black family's were two parent families before 1964 and that percentage now days is no where close to what it was. The black race is going backwards as it has no strong moral leadership or a strong family orientated base anymore.

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  21. THE WRATH OF THE AWAKENED SAXON
    by Rudyard Kipling


    It was not part of their blood,
    It came to them very late,
    With long arrears to make good,
    When the Saxon began to hate.

    They were not easily moved,
    They were icy -- willing to wait
    Till every count should be proved,
    Ere the Saxon began to hate.

    Their voices were even and low.
    Their eyes were level and straight.
    There was neither sign nor show
    When the Saxon began to hate.

    It was not preached to the crowd.
    It was not taught by the state.
    No man spoke it aloud
    When the Saxon began to hate.

    It was not suddently bred.
    It will not swiftly abate.
    Through the chilled years ahead,
    When Time shall count from the date
    That the Saxon began to hate.

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  22. Milk was not a failure, the black leaders and people are, the cleave is a prime example of a massive failure with sLIE and especially mayor lickass following his lead.

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  23. Monkeys
    Love
    Killing

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  24. Truth Teller and Seeker1/18/21, 2:05 PM

    There are NO civil rights leaders in Kansas City. They are all dead. I think you're confusing meddlesome activism with civil rights and they are not one in the same.

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  25. A legislator in Monroe County, New York, admitted Saturday to sending a picture of his genitals to a 19-year-old woman he was working with after she accused him of sexual harassment on the day he was sworn in as president of a New York chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

    Monroe County Legislator Ernest Flagler-Mitchell defended himself by citing his faith in God and claiming he intended to send the photo of his genitals to his wife. He also claimed without evidence that he is being blackmailed over the incident because of his work for minority communities.

    Sure good men of God send their wives pictures of their junk all the time. I wonder how many times his dog also ate his homework when he was a kid?

    Black person misbehaving.... nothing to see here folks... check your racism.

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  26. Enjoy your diaper-filled tantrum, MAGATS. Sleepy Joe wins, yet again, tomorrow!

    Loser Donald J Trump heads to exile or prison!!!!!!!

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  27. ^^^^^^^Dream on troll!

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  28. The president of a recently reactivated NAACP chapter in New York admitted over the weekend to sending a sexually explicit photograph of himself "intended for my wife to an individual I was working with." The revelation by Monroe County Legislator Ernest Flagler-Mitchell came in a statement Saturday less than two hours after his virtual swearing-in ceremony as head of the Rochester NAACP chapter, the Democrat & Chronicle reported. The image of his genitals was sent to a 19-year-old woman who alleges the lawmaker sexually harassed her.

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  29. Byron Funkhouser1/18/21, 3:40 PM

    I did not make the comment at 12:34.

    We have to constantly fact check the Trumptards.

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  30. The city can put it's foot down on the black crime that's how. Stop being racist.

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  31. Nonviolence has to come from within the black community, period. There is nothing a bunch of white dudes can do to reduce black-on-black violence. In 2020 72% of homicide victims and 61% percent of homicide suspects were black. By contrast, only 28% of the population of KCMO is black. If black people don't commit to solving the problem there is nothing white people can do to help them.

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  32. The blacks have become so worthless and useless that no help from whitey or a bunch of Karen’s can fix them, soon they will all be gone due to their violent murderous nature, they will eliminate themselves. Good riddance!

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  33. Trevor Noah...the black uber-lib talk show host..who's constantly spouting anti_White insults and slurs..and constantly bashing rich Whites...

    decided to honor MLK today by moving into his 27 MIllion $$ mansion..with his WHITE girlfriend..Minka Kelly.

    typical lib MSM Democrat hypocrite...

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  34. Blm and their violence has made mlk insignificant....besides he was a womanizer..hurry, tear down the statues and rename the streets....eyeroll

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  35. 12:29 - You are so full of shit.

    Since 1964, Blacks have been given EEOC, Affirmative Action, NAACP, ACLU, Big Government, trillions of tax dollars all in an effort to raise Blacks from a violent society to an economic contributor to our country.

    Blacks choose not to put in the effort and continue to murder, rape and loot.

    Give them jobs or a promotion and they still do half the work of a white man. The white man is expected to do the black man's other 50% and his own work.

    I have all the respect for Hispanic and Asian men and women for they work their asses off to feed their families and to provide better educational opportunities for their children. Hispanics and Asians work harder than Whites but don't whine and bitch 24/7 like Blacks do.

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  36. ^^and yet they’re all better than you though. Weird.

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  37. ^^ Not what your momma says Weird Boy when I fill her mouth full of milky protein.

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  38. Today's blacks don't know the difference between MLK & Malcolm X.

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  39. Today’s MAGATS don’t know the difference between right and wrong.

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  40. ^^^ we were taught right from wrong and got whooped when we did something wrong, you people got praised for being worthless and sexually confused. The cult of obummer idiots need de-programmed, re-trained and basically removed from civilization until you start behaving like human beings so....

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  41. ^You talk too much, seem really lonely, and are really dumb.

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  42. See how I did that! I used the same current words that the Chinese news network and msdnc have been brain washing you morons with for a week now.

    De-programmed
    Re-trained
    Cult
    Removed

    It’s on tv and on al gores amazing internet 24/7, it’s called brain washing illiterate left wing nut jobs! It’s pretty clear who the fanatical are and what they’re trying to do, start a civil war.

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  43. Oh and the current political narrative is fear mongering by installing 30,000 troops for a virtual inauguration....

    They freaked out today when a homeless camp caught fire, tents 6 blocks away from the capitol, removed everybody from the capitol who was practicing for the “virtual Inauguration”

    Government control is on display, you better get used to it with chyna joe and both his hoes in charge.

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  44. ^^^ You left out take your children away too.

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  45. The MINUTE Biden is sworn in

    THE BALLGAME IS OVER.

    If HE drops dead HARRIS becomes PRESIDENT.
    If SHE drops dead PELOSI becomes PRESIDENT.

    PUT A FORK IN US WE ARE DONE.

    America's Constitutional Republic is FINISHED.

    Most Americans have NO CLUE what that will mean,
    but they are going to find out, VERY SHORTLY.

    Getting away with stealing the election was
    the straw that broke the camel's back.

    AMERICA WILL NEVER RECOVER FROM THIS

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  46. Byron Funkhouser1/18/21, 10:47 PM

    By the way, I might mention I'm packing (didn't forget my KY, ha, ha) my U-Haul as we speak, for a move to Kansas City. I like the way things are shaping up there, and I believe I can be a big help to the LGBT and BLM communities. I look forward to meeting many of you. I've rented a home in the Northeast, and advised where to forward my EBT money. Rejoice Millie B's, you have a new customer! I will advise when settled in.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Byron Funkhouser1/18/21, 11:41 PM

    I did not make the comment at 10:47.

    ReplyDelete

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