Aunt B's rainy (MLK) day blues

I just came across a post over at Tiny Cat Pants (here) and, though I was tracking more or less with her trouncing of anti-MLKers, I was disappointed when the post turned into a trouncing of strawmen. "Aunt B" asserts

Black men are still regularly victims of unspeakable horrors of police brutality. There are still plenty of places where black folks know they aren't welcome. There are still disenfranchised voters in Mississippi (and the rest of the country) and there are still plenty of folks who believe they have nothing to vote for. And, while these things remain serious problems for black people, they've become systemic for all of us (because, to reiterate, our destinies are tied together).

To assert that ANY of these realities are unique to African-Americans is demagoguery. To assert (or imply that King believed) that government could eradicate brutality or prejudice is foolishness. (By the way, it is ludicrous to assert that "disenfranchisement" belongs in this "common to man" list of societal problems). Ironically, as I'm typing this, ESPN is showing footage of Bears Coach Lovie Smith--one of two African-American head coaches appearing in the NFL conference championships this weekend, is graciously addressing a question about his race in a press conference.

Things are not worse today--as far as government treatment of racial minorities is concerned, than they were in 1963. "Ballot integrity" is not code for "I'm down with Jim Crow." We won't have to put Al Sharpton out of a job before we can claim that "real change" has happened in our country.

Update: I neglected to link to "Aunt B"'s post originally.