CAAP launches petition on behalf of those who marched
Today, Rev. William Owens, President of the Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP), defended those who marched in America’s civil rights movement against an effort to co-opt their sacrifice. In response to recent remarks from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rev. Owens has asked the congresswoman to stop using the civil rights movement to advance her unrelated agenda.
“Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has fallen into the bad habit of comparing her political goals to the American civil rights movement,” stated Rev. Owens. “While it is obvious she understands the importance of that movement, she does not seem to realize that her statements trivialize the work of those who marched.”
Rev. Owens referenced an Instagram video in which the congresswoman likened those who oppose her climate change platform to bigots who opposed equal rights for blacks. She has also compared climate change and environmentalism to a modern civil rights movement.
“Speaking as someone who was there, lived through Jim Crow, and marched with Dr. King, it is disrespectful to see Rep. Ocasio-Cortez try to use that movement for her own political ends,” Rev. Owens added.
Joined by others who marched in the civil rights movement, Rev. Owens has launched a petition asking Rep. Ocsaio-Cortez to stop trying to co-opt the movement. The petition states, “Attempting to use the Civil Rights Movement for your own purposes reflects poorly on your knowledge of history and appears disrespectful and dismissive.”
“Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is attempting to borrow the dignity of a great political movement to lend legitimacy to her own proposals,” concluded Rev. Owens. “But her ideas must stand or fall on their own merits, not ride on the pain, suffering, tears, and sweat of the civil rights marchers who transformed our country.”
The petition can be found at: https://caapusa.org/2019/04/tell-rep-ocasio-cortez-to-stop-co-opting-the-civil-rights-movement/
