Asking Ferguson protesters to emulate MLK is asking them to ignore history

Ta-Nehisi Coates makes a pretty persuasive argument against calling on Ferguson protesters to follow the non-violent example of Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Urge to ask Ferguson protestors to "be like Martin Luther King," ignores the how the State actually responded to Martin Luther King.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) November 25, 2014

"Hey, be like that King guy who beat, jailed, harrased and spied on. He should be your role model."

— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) November 25, 2014

"Be like that guy who our most powerful law enforcement officer once called 'The most notorious liar in the country.'"

— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) November 25, 2014

"Be like that Evers guy whose killer we allowed to roam free for 30 years."

— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) November 25, 2014

"Remember the spirit of Jimmy Lee Jackson whose killer we never prosecuted. Oh right, because we killed him." http://t.co/SiA0dCP9kw

— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) November 25, 2014

One thing Coates neglected to mention: "Be like that man the FBI wrote a letter to trying to get him to kill himself."

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