I've found myself fascinated by the controversy over the "fake" quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that went viral Monday, in the wake of the news about Osama bin Laden's killing. It's been the rage on Facebook and Twitter, broadcast to millions of social media users. It's already been debunked; and then the debunking was debunked. Beyond the messy details, I'm fascinated by the desire of all sides -- there aren't merely two sides to the debate over bin Laden's killing -- to claim King as their moral ally (or to at least make sure he's not on the other side!).
First, the messy details, quickly. Sometime Monday parts or all of the following "quote" flew around Twitter and Facebook, attributed to King:
I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.
