# Let's pit Martin Luther King! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 16, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016 "2015-01-16T20:05:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/81 "2015-01-17T22:02:59Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Did no one at the time ever, ever say, “Come to think of it, there’s no real reason why a national leader needs to be able to walk”? While true in theory there is some concern that FDR’s health [impeded his negotiations at Yalta](http://am-hist-02.blogspot.com/2011/11/fdrs-weakness-at-yalta.html). People want a vigorous president (often with good reason) and it’s hard for a cripple to look vigorous. (As an aside I think FDR was a great president even if he probably should have stepped aside by the time of the 1944 elections.) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/82 "2015-01-17T22:38:33Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I follow baseball pretty avidly. I’ve adopted the Cubs, since I plan to stay in Chicago for the rest of my life, although I still follow the D-backs. Could be worse, I suppose. You could be one of those douches who thinks professional pinch hitters are actually major league baseball players instead of musclebound temp workers. Your regular douchinesss as it pertains to this pitting will have to do for now. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/83 "2015-01-17T22:52:37Z")
> [@andros](#): > > Hates Martin Luther King Jr. and supports a team from Arizona? > . He’s the D-bag who follows the D-backs! Easy to remember! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/84 "2015-01-17T23:26:34Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Could be worse, I suppose. You could be one of those douches who thinks professional pinch hitters are actually major league baseball players instead of musclebound temp workers. Says the guy who voluntarily lives in an American League _ptooie!_ city? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/85 "2015-01-18T01:49:03Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > While true in theory there is some concern that FDR’s health [impeded his negotiations at Yalta](http://am-hist-02.blogspot.com/2011/11/fdrs-weakness-at-yalta.html). People want a vigorous president (often with good reason) and it’s hard for a cripple to look vigorous. > > (As an aside I think FDR was a great president even if he probably should have stepped aside by the time of the 1944 elections.) His health problems in '44 didn’t really have anything to do with his being crippled, though. (Plus, Truman was in good health and also ended up making a lot of concessions to Stalin. The fact was that Stalin had the US over a barrel at the end of the war, there wasn’t really anything the US could do to keep him out of Eastern Europe, especially as we wanted his help in the Pacific theatre. It didn’t really matter who was at the other end of negotiating table, healthy or otherwise). ---
**Author:** ![GeoBa92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8491ac/32.png) [@GeoBa92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeoBa92)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/86 "2015-01-18T01:52:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Paging Winston Churchill! 😃 He was a true legend for sure! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/87 "2015-01-18T02:08:45Z")
Your Mom is a true legend. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/88 "2015-01-18T04:17:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > … Hey, it worked for **Hal Briston**! Baa Baaa Baaaa Bad. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/89 "2015-01-18T04:45:32Z")
All I know is nailing his feces on that church door was a shit move. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/90 "2015-01-18T06:45:10Z")
Why is it the major assassins use 3 names? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/91 "2015-01-18T12:56:52Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Johnson was at the end of a long process. All he had to do was sign the bill into law. What and who got the ball rolling? And who was the leader in the movement? Hubert Humphrey? It’s easy to romanticize protestors and “consciousness raisers” who are out of office, but it’s politicians who are responsible for laws, and we have to take their role seriously instead of just electing any old dude and acting like it doesn’t matter. That said, Martin L. King was all right. We could use another popular socialist in this country. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/92 "2015-01-18T15:00:08Z")
MLK may have had flaws, but his noble spirit embiggens the smallest man. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/93 "2015-01-18T15:45:20Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > MLK may have had flaws, but his noble spirit embiggens the smallest man. I’ve never heard “embiggens” before. Is that even a word? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/94 "2015-01-18T15:58:12Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I’ve never heard “embiggens” before. I don’t know why. It’s a perfectly cromulent word. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/95 "2015-01-18T16:01:27Z")
It’s a perfectly cromulent word. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/96 "2015-01-18T17:22:09Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > It’s a perfectly cromulent word. No one said “altogether”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/97 "2015-01-18T19:09:24Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I follow baseball pretty avidly. I’ve adopted the Cubs, since I plan to stay in Chicago for the rest of my life, although I still follow the D-backs. I’ll bet Chicago is just thrilled with the prospect. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/98 "2015-01-18T19:19:01Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ll bet Chicago is just thrilled with the prospect. Yeah. We get to live with that, on top of the knowledge that Chicago is where Dr. King was hit in the head with a rock. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/99 "2015-01-18T19:32:38Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > So here we go again… We try not to remember good people by their worst moments, but rather by their best. MLK used his time on this earth to improve the lot of oppressed people, knowing full well that his personal reward would be a bullet. You, on the other hand, hide your personal failings behind anonymity and just being quiet about them. Your list of King’s shortcomings are rather petty. As far as you know, you’ve never plagiarized? Do you want a medal? You don’t cheat on your spouse? Well, no one but your spouse would have you, and probably hasn’t for as long as possible. You accuse the man of being a communist (as if that were a crime) when in fact he wasn’t, and it was a scurrilous lie made up by his enemies. He was a Republican liberal, a political philosophy that no longer exists. I curse you: “May you lose all intelligence you were born with and become a Chicago Cubs fan _by choice_.” My curses have the ability to go back in time to take effect. As you will undoubtedly notice. Just now. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016/100 "2015-01-18T20:06:42Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > We try not to remember good people by their worst moments, but rather by their best. True, but often depending on political persuasion, personal bigotry, and ignorance; or any combination. The press could have focused on FDR’s affairs, except that he was busy saving the country and winning a war. They could have focused on Ike’s supposed affair with Kay Summersby, except that he was managing a war against one of the worst monsters in history. Jefferson could have been condemned for all time for his relationship with Sally Hemings, except for that writing the Declaration of Independence thing. History is full of flawed people who have done great things. Luckily, most sane people focus on the greatness and forgive the weakness. Then there are people like the OP who choose to dwell on the tawdry details of a person’s life in order to feel somehow superior to them. Columbus, on the other hand, was a dick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-martin-luther-king/710016.md?page=6)