Pence criticized for quoting King to defend the wall proposal

Jan. August 21, 2019, 04:28 GMT

From Alex Johnson

Vice President Mike Pence was sharply criticized on Sunday for quoting Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in his most famous speech in defense of the President Donald Trump. efforts to persuade Congress to fund the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday – a day before the federal holiday in honor of King – Pence quoted a passage from "I'm King" a dream "speech delivered at Lincoln Memorial in Washington on August 28, 1963: "One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was:" Now is the time to fulfill the promises of democracy. " "

The Vice President continued:" You think about how he changed America. It inspired us to change, throughout the legislative process, to become a more perfect union.

"That's exactly what President Trump is calling Congress to do at the table in a spirit of good faith," said Pence. "We will secure our border. said yesterday, we will reopen the government and move our country forward to engage in an even broader debate on immigration reform in the coming months. "

When asked how the Democrats were involved in discussions on a DACA deal, @VP reports "good conversations" with Dems: "The leaders have discouraged them, in the House and Senate, from appealing to the I want to respect these conversations. " pic.twitter.com/T3YLTkQx8h

– Facing the Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 20, 2019

It is worth noting that, barely a year later, at the time of A speech made in East Berlin, King He specifically addressed the subject of the Berlin Wall, which divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.

"Here on each side of the wall are the children of God, and no artificial barrier can not erase this fact, "he told St. Mary's Church on September 13, 1964.

The reaction is sharp and clear.

Eleanor Holmes Nor ton, the non-voting Democratic delegate of the District of Columbia in Congress, tweeted, "We can not allow Vice President Pence to spill off by cleaning up the President on the day of the day. Birthday of Martin Luther King. "

The NAACP, whom King served as a member of the board of directors of Montgomery, Alabama, characterized these remarks as " insulting the legacy of Dr. King ."

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., Also called Pence's use of King's words "beyond shame".

Assimilating the legacy of one of the greatest statesmen and civil rights advocates in the United States to a vain project based on racist ideology and hate goes on beyond shame. @VP owes the American people, as well as in memory of Mr. King, an immediate and abundant apology. @POTUS is not a MLK

– Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 20, 2019

Meanwhile, Ibram X. Kendi, founder and director of the center Research and Anti-Racism Policy at The American University of Washington noted Pence's comments and tweeted: " They" honor "MLK every year by murdering who he was ."