Ok, I understand it. We are heading into a midterm election where the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate can change majority parties. I get that in elections like these, that Presidents are usually drug through the mud on many policy initiatives and executive decisions. I never thought that a rug would get this much attention to the detractors of President Obama.
Every four years, we have a U.S. presidential election, where we change the occupant or keep the occupant in for one more term. In that, the winner is afforded a four year lease on the huge white complex on Pennsylvania Avenue. While there, they can do anything they want with their private quarters and their offices. One of those offices is of course the Oval Office, where during their term, they make the choice to personalize the office and put their mark on it. Nearly every President does it and a least a week ago, the current President chose to continue that tradition. It wasn't any big shakes to anyone who doesn't care about things like this, except for our media. I guess after six months, you sort of get tired of the old, "The First African American President in U.S. History does_________! Isn't that amazing!!!" stories that they put out. To me, hes basically a President who, besides President Clinton, wouldn't be more uncomfortable than me at one of my family reunions.
All in all, its a cool look. I'm not exactly dude on Trading Spaces, but if I were President, my First Lady would definitely be designing the room, because I wouldn't know what the hell to put in it. Wallpaper, new reupholstered chairs, couches, paint, etc. are all expected in a remodeling of a room. However, one bit of controversy is the rug. In the report on the Washington Post, the rug has various quotes inscribed on it.
In the center is the presidential seal, and the quotes on its border include some of the most famous words ever spoken by Americans:
- "GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE" - Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
- "NO PROBLEM OF HUMAN DESTINY IS BEYOND HUMAN BEINGS" - John F. Kennedy.
- "THE WELFARE OF EACH OF US IS DEPENDENT FUNDAMENTALLY ON THE WELFARE OF ALL OF US" - Teddy Roosevelt.
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- "THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF" - FDR's inaugural speech.
- "THE ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE IS LONG, BUT IT BENDS TOWARD JUSTICE" - Obama's favorite Martin Luther King quotation.
Fair enough right. Rug with quotes on it from prominent Americans in history was a great idea for a rug. Well, up until this happened.
One quote reads, “The Arc of the Moral Universe Is Long, But It Bends Towards Justice.”
As the Washington Post’s Jamie Stiehm points out, the quote attributed to King is not really King’s quote at all.
It’s Theodore Parker’s.
King often quoted and paraphrased Parker, an abolitionist and minister from Massachusetts, who in 1853 proclaimed, “I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one ... And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice."
As soon as I read that, I said aloud these words,.......
"THIS SHIT JUST GOT STUPID!!!!!!!!!"
The simple fact is this, that just because Dr. King did use Parker, who says the same thing in a more or less different way, does not mean that Dr. King should not be referenced when saying the quote. I looked at the speech that Dr. King gave, titled, "A look to the Future", given at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tennessee. Where the moneymaker quote stands.
Basically, Mr. Parker did say the same thing, albeit in a much greater context. Dr. King, however, said the quote in the same, exact way as quoted on the rug. Common sense should dictate to you that the quote was meant to be portrayed as Dr. King had said it. Unfortunately, we don't live in the age of common sense anymore.
"So my answer to the question of our theme is that the future is filled with vast and marvelous possibilities. This is a great time to be alive. Let us not despair. Let us realize that as we struggle for justice and freedom we have cosmic companionship. The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
The second thing to do, LOOK AT THE RUG!!!!!
Rug by the rugmakers.
I don't see any names there attributing quotes to the people. SO, for people who want to attribute the quote to Theodore Parker, go ahead. Be my guest. This is the United States in America, where each of us has the right to attribute quotes to people who made them first in some different words. I think.
The nature of this attack and the media's efforts at covering it is farcical. Its as then-Sen. Barack Obama said in the primary debates.
Damn, you have to wonder if Dr. King were alive today, would he be subjected to this since he borrowed from Parker. Or, how about President Lincoln. "Of the people, by the people, for the people" sounds the very same as Parker's quote, "of all the people, by all the people, for all the people" Shouldn't these two people be taken to the mat. Come on media, the economy, the elections, most of all jobs. We really don't give a damn about the rug.
I cannot tell you how many times I laughed out loud as I ready this. Partially because you are hilarious, and partially because the topic of the rug in the oval office getting the kind of media attention that it has is asinine. Its not like were fighting 197236 wars, in the worst economic recession in years, attempting and failing to secure our boarders or loads of other more important issues. The media is right on with this one, lets talk about a rug that may or may not have a mis-credited quote on it. Complete garbage, so much for reporting the important news first.
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