Hasn't Martin Luther King's doctoral dissertation since been found to be plagiarism?
Yes, but how is that relevant to a conversation about the death of his widow, Coretta Scott King, Thump?
Let's address the straw man being built here anyway...
Plagiarism is wrong and I recently prosecuted a student for it. However, it is a universal American university problem as witnessed by Ohio State's recent steps to confront it. Think you never committed plagiarism, check against this document http://www.rbs2.com/plag.htm and you may be surprised.
The Carnegie Foundation recently reported that more than 90% of USA undergrads have cheated on tests, assignments, and other work in university (see http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/perspectives/sub.asp?key=245&subkey=577Studies and http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/plagiarism.html .
Plagiarism has been a rampant problem for decades. What has changed is that universities now have reliable software to detect it. In fact, it is the advent of software that detects the problem that has forced universities to confront the problem.
So, plagiarism is wrong and it appears that King engaged in it more than once, but most American students have done so during their careers. In fact, didn't Tibor recently detail cheating on lab projects while at Ohio State?
Anyway, as using other people's phrases as one's own, we can look no further than one of the most motivational phrases ever uttered by an American president...
Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Author: Cicero (64 BC).
I cannot comment about Martin Luther King's supposed marital discretions. There are lots of press reports that indicate he was unfaithful to his wife. There are reports that he was funded by Communists. Other press reports argue that his indiscretions and supposed Communist affiliations were exaggerated by J. Edgar Hoover, who reportedly despised him and by former aids who were disappointed they never achieved his fame after he was assassinated.
Are these allegations true? Certainly a university found him guilty of plagiarism. About the rest, I don't know.
Now to return to the topic of this thread. In what does Martin Luther King's private life detract from the undeniable contribution he made to civil rights in America, which I assume is what you imply by asking a question to which you already know the answer, and how is this relevant to a discussion about the death of his wife?
Coretta Scott King does not deserve to be disrespected in death. Perhaps no one does. I am not suggesting that you meant to do so Thump.
I am very sure that if we try, we can dig up some dirt on Corretta Scott King. Somebody, somewhere has an allegation against every public figure in America. But my point is this. Look at this woman in abstract. Look at the life she led. Look at the offers of personal aggrandisement she turned down. Then consider how much respect she deserves. Were Tibs comments earlier in this thread were consistent with that?
I don't care to start a flame war with anyone, it is the principle that I am addressing. Peace!
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