Martin Luther King Jr. Reading Questions

Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?

The author feels that whites owe Martin Luther King the greatest debt because he tranformed the nation in a way that allows white Americans to separate themselves from other whites around the world who believe in racial separation. It is only because of King that whites can say justly that America is a place of freedom in terms of racial equality, and because whites can no longer be considered hypocrits when it comes to the issue of race.

Was King "the right man at the right time"?

Although a trite expression, King was the right man at the right time. He was what the nation needed most to break the band of racism that separated it from freedom. King was the only person with the right mind to follow Ghandi's idea of nonviolent protest, the only one dedicated and willing enough to tenaciously cling to the idea that all men are created equal and have unalienable natural rights, and the only person with the power necessary to lead a group of people towards the path of racial equality because of his powerful ideas and speeches. He was also a perfect example of the nonviolent protests that he preached as he stood with being thrown in jail numerous times and enduring constant death and bombing threats. He risked his life far more than other leaders through exposure by fighting valiantly for his dream of racial equality.

Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not?

I don't know as if "upset" is the proper term for King's feeling over people abusing his famous "I have a dream" line. I would say that he would be more disappointed that people are jeopardizing the entire struggle for racial equality by using that honest line for purposes that come nowhere near the intensity of the Civil Rights Movement. King used that line because he truly believed in the power of equality, enough to fight for it. That quote summarizes the cause that King sacrificed his life for.