I am extremely angry right now. While looking online for some links and sources to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I found that the fifth site on Google, and the most official looking one, is a site hating on Dr. King. What the hell? Who gave these neanderthals access to the internet? Honestly, I can't say I have the skills or knowledge to debunk their charges of plagiarism on the Reverend's part, though I kinda feel that even if everything they say is true, that doesn't really diminish his great accomplishments or contributions to American soceity. Most of their other charges are the kind of blatantly irrelevant, almost classic nonsense use to tar any kind of leader. If there were any doubts about their motives, the webmasters prominently offer up a really disgusting article by David Duke that skillfully blends anti-Semitism, Red-Baiting, and every kind of racisim and anti-Intellectualism you can think of.
The reason why this pisses me off so much is that I can only guess that thousands of school-children across the country sat down at their computer last week, or will sit down at their computer this week, to put together a report on Dr. King. And it might have been very tempting to avoid the onerous looking .edu sites, and check out what seems like a promising url, especially with this kind of description: The truth about Martin Luther King: Includes historical trivia, articles and pictures. A valuable resource for teachers and students alike. I know that American school children are increasingly dependant on the internet, and I also know that there are great concerns that they haven't yet learned to discern good sources from bad sources. I can believe that, since often even adults can't. Aw geez. How many impressionable young minds just lost out on a great opportunity to be inspired and educated, to appreciate the value of nonviolence and civil-rights and righteous struggle, and instead got an eyeful of smut? ARGH. This is particularly upsetting because, as far as I can tell, theKingCenter.com--what looks like the website of the official organization dedicated to memorializing Dr. King, and founded by his widow Coretta Scott King--is totally out of commission today. So all those clicking school children are going to go right past it to the piece of garbage site. And I can't even give the King Center a donation to help them get their server back up, if that's the issue! I've called The King Center, and am hoping to hear back from them soon about this. When I do, hopefully we can all help them get their website back up.
In the meantime I can't decide what would be best. Google bomb the garbage site with phrases like "pack of lies?" That wouldn't really help this problem, and I don't feel like gifting them with even that kind of link. I guess the most productive thing is to try and link to other good sites that are currently below the garbage site. Here goes: Martin Luther King Jr. (Long Island University's A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). Martin Luther King Jr. (Day of Service Organization: "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.") Martin Luther King Jr. (Nobel Prize Biography.) Any other suggestions? If you have a blog or a website, please consider posting similar links. Thanks!
Screenshot of Google's Search Results for ["martin luther king jr."] around 1 p.m, PST, Jan. 17, 2005. (Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2005)
