[A-List] Martin Luther King, Jr: Visionary, Revolutionary - cards and class

[Waistline2 at aol.com]

Response: Again this is not about "ethics" it is about effectiveness  in
struggle. For those whose experience with struggle is some little  lumpen
syndicalist sect in Detroit, Labor aristocrat unionism in the  auto
industry, Texas Hold-em and legend-in-one's-own-mind ranting on  various
lists, and narrow cause cherrypicking, this is probably difficult  to
understand; the concept that in struggle, not keeping oneself clean  and
free from blackmail potential is not only self-absorbed  and
petiti-bourgeois behavior, it is treachery and betrayal of a  whole
movement.

Comment 
 
You misunderstand or rather cannot understand from the standpoint of your  
personal ethics. The issue here is not me but rather what you wrote about Dr.  
King. 
 
A person cannot be blackmailed for their sexual behavior if it is in  
conformity with their ethics and a general cultural boundary. The sex escapades  are 
legendary with Ministers and not just the black ones. Here, what is meant  is 
consensual relations with adults. What next, Dr. King as a rapists?  King's 
sex life - which you raise as a basis to swear him, is within the bounds  of 
"what is acceptable" to most people I know and within the "bounds" of what is  
acceptable in African American culture, even from a womanist lens. 
 
The question is not simply being blackmailed or being black mailed at all.  
There is no basis to use the lens of sex to understand King's politics and  
role in history.  You indirectly are stating that Dr, King was not  clean. 
According to who? 
 
Professor Craven, playing Texas Hold em does not make one unclean. Really.  
"Positively Fifth Street" by James Mc Manus, contains a wonderful section on 
the  history of cards, paper card making - dating back to China, the symbolism 
of  cards as class indicators and the history of Poker. No one can be 
blackmailed  for playing poker in America. In fact it is difficult to be arrested for 
playing  in an illegal - underground, poker game. The person running the 
illegal game,  rather than the players, is subject to arrest for making money 
outside the  jurisdiction of the IRS as a taxing agency. What constitutes an illegal 
poker  game is the house cutting money from the pot. In several states it is 
not  illegal for the dealer to receive tips. I did in fact work at the MGM 
Casino in  Detroit as a card dealer. This does not make me unclean. 
 
It is becoming increasingly clear that you have not taken into account that  
80 million people actively play poker all the time in America making it the  
largest sport with baseball far behind. 
 
Perhaps . . . calling you a liar was too strong and even wrong and you  
simply do not know or understand the life of the America peoples or the history  of 
cards and Poker. Cards playing and Poker did not originate, have its origins  
in and with the lumpen proletariat. Cards in their present form and history  
express class changes in society with the "Ace" becoming dominant over the  
"king" signaling the triumph of the bourgeoisie. Have you considered what the  
"Jack" implies as class or the "Queen?"  
 
Consider what it means for the "one" - Ace, to be able to trump - card  
slang, the King . . . not Dr. King. 
 
Forget it. 
 
If you are to serve as the ethical police at least do your homework. 
 
Melvin P. 
 



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