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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2010)
August 18. 2010______________ ._______________ The | J ortlanfo (Ohsi'rlU'r Page 17 Nothing in Common with King Talk show host dishonors MLK’s legacy in D edrick M uhammad Thi s year's anni versary of the historic 1963 March on Washington promises to be memorable. Though big c o m m em o ra tio n s aren't typical for 47th an niversaries, thousands will be in the streets on Aug. 28 commemorating the march, including many people advancing a social agenda that would make Martin Luther King Jr. roll over in his grave. Flamboyant talk-show host Glenn Beck has called for a national rally on the anniversary at the exact same location as the historic protest, the Lincoln Memorial. Beck's rally theme is "Restoring Honor." According to his website, this "celebration of America" won't be political. Well then, why have Sarah Palin sched uled to deliver the keynote speech, and why is the National Rifle Asso ciation endorsing this right-wing spectacle? From w hat I can gather, these folks think that America can restore its honor by strength ening individual virtue, especially if enough people come to Wash ington on Aug. 28 to listen to inflammatory speeches. Or pick up copies of Beck's new book "The Plan," which he'll launch at this ab surd event. What do Beck, Palin, and the NRA have to do with the 1963 march where Dr. Martin Luther King deliv ered the landm ark" I Have a Dream" speech? Nothing. Beck has admit ted not realizing that the legendary march occurred on Aug. 28. He cred its "divine providence" for having his rally and book launch converge with such a historic event Beck now proclaims that he is working "to finish the job" that was at the heart of King's poetic vision, claiming that King's ideas have been corrupted and that he will resurrect MLK's true spirit. Beck's revisionist history discards King's emphasis on social justice, instead emphasiz ing individual Christian salvation. Beck even reached out to King's distant relatives, including a niece. After questioning her several times, he got her to say that King was not about social justice or government redistribution of the wealth. To grasp MLK's legacy, it's best to read King's own words. No one can believe Beck's interpretation of King's legacy. Four months after the March on Washington, King said, "We're caught in an inescap able network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. W hat ever affects one directly affects all indirectly... 1 can never be what 1 ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what 1 ought to be." If Glenn Beck sincerely wants to advance the Dr. King's vision and the March on Washington's legacy, he could go to Detroit on Aug. 28. There Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of King's lead organizers, and the United Auto Workers (the union was one of the main sponsors of the 1963 march) will kickoff a campaign to rebuild America with jobs, ju s tice, and peace. Unlike Beck's "Re storing Honor" rally and book launch, the Detroit march will echo the civil rights movement's call to invest in opportunity for all Ameri cans. If Beck doesn't want to leave Washington, he should visit the "Celebrate the Dream" event near hisown rally. There, Americans will read and listen to the words of Dr. King in a more appropriate tribute. Finally, since Beck apparently likes to talk to membersofDr. King's family, he should visit th e " Reclaim the Dream" rally that day. Martin Luther King 111 will join other lead ers there to commemorate King's authentic social justice vision. There's nothing virtuous or hon orable in trying to appropriate the legacy of a man who gave his life for his beliefs. Instead of proclaiming "divine providence" upon learning of this scheduling blunder. Beck should have admitted his own igno rance and hold his own rally with his own plan, as his vision for America has nothing in common with King's. It's not too late for Beck to change course. If he does, it could even mark the first step to the virtuous actio n that B eck's "R esto rin g Honor" rally and book launch is supposed to advocate. Dedrick Muhammad is a re search associate fo r the Inequality and the Common Good project at the Institute for Policy Studies. Misleading Campaign Debunked How the estate tax benefits small business by J im A maral Small business own ers like me have for too long served as poster children for a misleading campaign led by the su per wealthy to weaken or abolish the estate tax. I'm the p ro u d o w n er o f Maine's Borealis Breads, and I want to make something crystal clear: The estate tax impacts neither me nor the vast majority of small business owners. In fact, I support a stronger estate tax. In 2009, a married couple could leave$7 million tax-free to their heirs. Most small business owners' an nual incomes are too little to accu mulate enough wealth to pay the estate tax. In 2009, individuals earn ing less than $82,000 declared 95 percent of all small business income, according to the Congressional Research Service. It should then be no surprise that the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates that fewerthan 100 American small busi ness or farm estates were expected to pay the estate tax in 2009. A provision in the tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush made 2010 the first year since 1916 that estate taxes will not be levied, resulting in the loss of billions of dollars in federal revenue. For gen erations, even with the estate tax in effect, families have been able to pass their small businesses and farms onto their de scendents. T hese sam e generations of small family businesses have enjoyed and benefited from the un precedented opportunities found in America. So if the estate tax has no real impact on an overwhelming majority of small businesses, why then do its opponents so adamantly assert that it. does? I believe the answer to that question is that op ponents are trying desperately to convince average Americans that they'll be affected by the estate tax. In reality, the estate tax is deliber ately d esig n ed to affe ct only society's wealthiest households. It's no coincidence that the un derwriters of the anti-estate tax cam paign are heirs to some of the largest private fortunes in the world. The Nordstroms, Waltons, Marses, and other extremely rich families have spent tens of millions of dollars lob bying Congress to repeal the estate tax. They're vying for the right to pass billions in wealth from huge corporations like-Wal-Mart to their descendents in perpetuity, without any tax responsibility. Wal-Mart and corporations like it hurt small businesses. They drive us out of our communities and im pede our ability to successfully compete in local markets. It's unrea sonable to give tax breaks to a few extremely wealthy families while Main Street business owners like me struggle through this recession. The estate tax is a boon to small •businesses. The estate tax revenue that comes from extremely wealthy families can fund things like small business and student loans so fu ture generations of entrepreneurs have opportunities to secure their own prosperity. Moreover, small businesses like mine rely heavily on the health of the public sector. Well-maintained highw ays, telecom m unications, and legal systems are all critical components of any small business' ability to succeed. The absence of an estate tax in 2010 will allow the late George Steinbrenner to pass over $ 1 billion tax-free dollars to his heirs, even when taxpayer subsidies made building the new Yankee Stadium possible. Public investment enabled Steinbrenner's business to survive and expand, so it makes sense that his estate should be required to give back to public coffers. We must make more public in vestments that will strengthen our economy, and the estate tax is one way to make that happen. That's why I support the Responsible Es tate Tax Act (S.3533), sponsored by S ens. S a n d e rs, H ark in and Whitehouse. This bill would keep the 2009 exemption of $3.5 million per spouse, and tax amounts above that at 45-55 percent, with a 65 per cent rate for billionaire couples, al lowing for the highest revenue col lection of any estate tax proposal. Our nation is struggling economi cally. Don't let opponents of the estate tax frighten you. The estate tax is good for small businesses and helps to facilitate the economic dynamism that has defined American markets. Recovery and prosperity demand a marketplace in which small busi nesses can emerge and compete. Progress requires a tax system that creates opportunities for all and helps to ensure that wealth and pros perity are broadly shared, and not just reserved for the likes of the Waltons and Steinbrenners. Jim Amaral is the owner of Bo realis Breads, which began in Waldoboro, Maine in 1993. S llh s c riH p f 503-288-0033 Fill Out & Send To: IlH' JJortlanh (Observer Attn: Subscriptions, PO Box 3137, Portland OR 97208 s u b s c r ip tio n s are ju s t $ 60 p e r y e a r (please include check with this subscription form) N ame : __________________ T elephone : A ddress : _____________________________ or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com L — — ———— — —— ————— — — — — — —J Advertise with diversity in Portland ( Observer ( all 503-288-0033 ads@portlandobserver.eoin
